Debts No Honest Man Can Pay
by AMZ-C-Raven
Summary: The Titans are called to the scene of a bizarre crime, and encounter a powerful magician. But Raven suspects that there may be more to this man's actions than meets the eye.
1. The Thin Man

Hey! This is my first Teen Titans story, so I hope you like it! I'm going to try to update once a week, most likely each Sunday, and maybe more often if bloody school doesn't get in the way, so stay tuned for more! Oh, yes, I don't own the Teen Titans, etc. etc. etc., although the central figure in this story is of my own creation. Enjoy!

DEBTS NO HONEST MAN CAN PAY

Chapter 1: The Thin Man

The T-Car screeched down the road, the driver behind the wheel was moving the vehicle like a man possessed.

"Careful, Cyborg! We want to be able to arrive in one piece!" yelled Robin, aware of the three Titans in the backseat looking remarkably perturbed at the driver's speed.

"Sorry, man. It's been a while since we went out on a mission, I just feel so... energized!" replied Cyborg, a massive grin spreading across his face. "When I heard that alarm sound, I just thought, 'Great! Finally, some action!'"

"I understand. But if you crash, none of us will see some action." Chastised the Boy Wonder, wagging a finger like a disappointed parent.

"I'm not gonna--" began Cyborg, only to be cut off moments later by the horn of a Semi truck. Screaming, he swiftly turned the wheel to the right, dodging a head-on collision with the truck by seconds. Cyborg chuckled nervous afterwards, more than aware of the four glares now aimed at his head by his team mates.

"Sorry..." he said sheepishly, scratching the back of his head with one hand. "I'll be careful..."

The car continued on into the night before finally arriving at its destination. The Namashimi Complex was one of the tallest buildings in all of Jump City, and was home to many organizations tied to the massive Namashimi Corporation of Japan. The Complex contained several restaurants, a gym, many offices, and most importantly, one of the largest Research and Development laboratories on the continent. Without question Robin knew that it was the lab that had been hit by an attack.

The car pulled up to the police barricade slowly and stopped. The five heroes emerged from the car and made their way towards the barricade.

"Lieutenant! The Teen Titans have arrived!" a cop spoke into his personal radio upon seeing the group wandering toward him in their distinctive dress. Within seconds, a police officer made his way towards the Titans, shaking their hands.

"I'm Lieutenant Frost. I'm the one that sent out the alarm." He pointed to the Boy Wonder. "I take it you're the leader?"

Robin nodded.

"We got a call about 45 minutes ago of a mysterious figure on the roof of the Complex. A squad car arrived about five minutes after that, and immediately requested a SWAT team. Our boys were in there for only about twenty minutes before we realized we were out gunned. This guy... he's like nothing I've ever seen before, personally."

"How so?" asked Beast Boy. "Is he like a big vampire octopus? Or maybe he's some kinda deer-man hybrid, with a drill on his arm?"

"Maybe it's some kind of creature that's capable of being quiet for more than two seconds, or actually has something intelligent to say?" quipped Raven, unimpressed with Beast Boy's speculations. Beast Boy frowned and stuck his tongue out at her at the remark. The Lieutenant paused, raising an eyebrow, and then continued.

"He's like a living shadow, or something. One minute he's here, the next he's gone. We can't even get near him, let alone touch him. He's way out of our league. We figured you guys would be a lot better equipped to handle him."

"A living shadow? How do you mean?" asked Robin.

"He disappears. Like, he teleports from room to room, he moves through the walls and furniture. To make things worse, he can knock us down without using his hands. Even more disturbing, one of the SWAT officers pulled his gun on him, and he threw a ball of fire at him."

"It sounds as if this villain is a magician. Friend Raven here is capable of the very same acts," explained Starfire, gesturing towards the ashen girl beside her.

Suddenly, the front doors to the building opened, and a dozen police officers ran screaming into the street.

"That voice! That horrible voice! Where did it come from?" groaned a cop.

"This looks like a magic user, alright." mumbled Raven. Cyborg nodded, then punched a fist into his hand.

"Why are we standing around and talking about it? What are we waiting for? Let's do this!" Cyborg bellowed.

Robin pointed theatrically, almost as if he'd been waiting for a cue. "Titans! Go!" He shouted, and they ran into the building.

The lobby was dark, with a few lights flickering ominously.

"Spoooooky," mumbled Beast Boy, wiggling his fingers in dramatic fashion.

"Can you sense him, Raven?" asked Robin. The girl in the dark cloak focused for a second.

"I... can... but... I can't get an exact location on his position. He's using magic to disorient his body signal."

"FiGuREd ThAT oUt On yoUR OwN dId yoU?" came an eerie voice in the darkness. The Titans stood very still upon hearing the sound, and scanned the room for any signs of life, finding nothing.

"COME ON OUT! SHOW YOURSELF!" demanded Cyborg, readying his sonic cannon. Raven and Starfire levitated, and Beast Boy turned into a jaguar while Robin drew his boomerangs. The group was loaded for bear and ready for anything. Except what happened next.

There was an eerie laugh, and suddenly Starfire and Raven collided and fell to the ground with a groan. A large light fixture dropped on Cyborg's head.

"OW! What gives?" yelled the bionic teen before the light fixture hit him again on the head, and then again, causing him to collapse. The fixture landed harmlessly next to his prone body.

Beast Boy leapt into the darkness, growling, only to be tossed across the room, slamming against a wall. Whimpering, he struggled back to his feet. Robin tossed some boomerangs, only to find them flying directly back at him, hitting him in the chest and knocking the wind out of him.

"I... sh-should have... seen that coming..." mumbled Robin. The Titans slowly began to get to their feet, bloody, but unbowed.

"LEt mE GeT WhaT i WAnt AnD I wiLL lEaVe yOu AlOnE!" bellowed the voice in the dark.

Raven's eyes glowed a particular shade of red.

"Enough of this nonsense..." she muttered before silently repeating her mantra--Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos. As she spoke the words, a black aura was generated which shot into the darkness. The spell took effect quickly, and within moments the lights flickered on, illuminating the room, and standing before our heroes stood a tall, thin figure in a black cloak and a dark stovepipe hat. His features gaunt and pale, he stared in amazement at the Titans, and particularly at Raven, with violet eyes.

"Remarkable..." he muttered. "I can see fear tactics will not work on you. No matter. There are other means."

Robin pointed again. "TITANS! G--!"

"You don't have to tell me twice!" remarked Cyborg, aiming his sonic cannon and firing at the thin man as he spoke. With a wave of his hand, the man deflected the blast into a wall.

"Try to keep him off balance! Flank him!" ordered Robin, and the Titans reacted. Starfire flew over the thin man's head, tossing starbolts. Raven used telekinesis to toss the same light fixture he had hit Cyborg with moments before at him. The resident changling became a rhino and charged directly at the cloaked figure, with Cyborg on his back readying another sonic blast. The Boy Wonder drew his bostaff and attempted to get behind him in the confusion.

A moment of panic flickered across the thin man's face briefly before disappearing completely. Using a telekinetic shield, he protected himself from Starfire's blasts. He collapsed the floor beneath Beast Boy and Cyborg, sending them plummeting down. He tossed the light fixture back at Raven, and as she began to use her own telekinesis to grab the fixture, he ripped a section of the wall to Raven's left out and blindsided her with it, sending her flying. Conjuring fireballs, he turned around and began tossing them in Robin's direction, forcing him to dodge quickly. Using telekinesis, the thin man used Robin's own bostaff to trip him, knocking him to the ground. The staff then flew into the sky, nailing Starfire in the stomach and sending her crashing into the same pit as Cyborg and Beast Boy. The thin man stepped forward and stood over Robin, unamused. He brushed a bit of his long, black hair out of his face and sighed.

"I am only going to say this once more. Let me get what I want, and I will leave you alone." He gazed into Robin's grimacing face, wincing in pain. The thin man's features did not change. "Well?" he asked, a hint of anger in his voice.

"Surrender now, and we'll make this easy," came a voice behind the man in the tall hat. Surprised, he turned to see four angry Titans, ready for another round. Starfire's eyes glowed a menacing green, accompanied perfectly by a large green condor to her right, carrying an incredibly displeased Cyborg, sonic cannon prepared. Behind them, darkness had enveloped a desk, a telephone, a potted plant, and a large section of the wall, causing them all to levitate above an incredibly angry Raven.

The thin man held his emotions in check up until the last moment, when a leg behind him swept his own legs out from under him, causing him to topple to the floor. A look of extreme surprise overwhelmed his face as he dropped to the ground with a thud.

"I do not have time for this!" he screamed, and with a bright blue flash, he was gone.

"What the-- c'mon!" said Cyborg as Beast Boy placed him on the ground.

"He's still in the building. I can sense him." Raven revealed.

"Split up, search the floors." ordered Robin, who moved towards the nearest door.

"WHAT! This place has like a bajillion floor and a skajillion rooms! He could be ANYWHERE!" the green figure complained.

"I don't care. We'll find him. He's still looking for something. He's still in the building."

Beast Boy sighed. "Oooooookay," he droned, before turning into a bloodhound and sniffing his way towards an elevator.

Raven stood perfectly still, pondering silently.

"Friend Raven, why are you not searching? Is something perched upon your mind?" asked Starfire, appearing suddenly beside her.

"Oh, it's nothing, Starfire. I'm just curious as to what a magician of this man's power would be doing... in an office building."

"He's looking for something in the Research and Development lab. That's what Robin told me. Now come on, we have 'a bajillion' floors to cover, remember?" explained Cyborg, making his way past the two girls and into an elevator.

"See! That is a good answer, yes? Now let us search! I shall start on floor number bajillion!" chirped Starfire, making her way into Cyborg's elevator.

"Uhhh... I'll explain something to you later, Star. Raven, are you coming?" Cyborg held the door for her.

"I'm going to investigate on my own. You guys go on ahead," she declared, and moments later the doors shut and Raven was alone. "Something about this just doesn't make sense... And I'm going to figure out what it is." With that, she made a black portal open up above her, and she floated away into the darkness to begin her search.

There you have it! I hope you enjoyed Chapter 1. Chapter 2 will be coming ASAP! And please, feel free to review. Thanks for reading!


	2. The Conflict

Well, I was able to update a little sooner than I thought. Hopefully I'll be able to update again on the weekend, so stay tuned! I don't own the Teen Titans, etc. etc. etc. Enjoy! 

Chapter 2: The Conflict

Robin had been searching the R&D lab for almost an hour now with no luck. The lab was simply too big. It took up six floors of the entire tower, with dozens of exits and thousands

of places to hide. Even with Starfire, Raven, Cyborg and Beast Boy searching with their own special abilities, it might take until morning to locate an immobile object. They were not

looking for something inanimate, though. They were looking for a man who was able to warp space to his whim.

Robin grabbed his communicator. "Any signs?"

"Nope, sorry buddy." replied Cyborg. "I've got a heartbeat scan going now, but I'm not getting anything."

"There's a chance he might be able to avoid detection from electronics anyway, Cyborg. Keep trying, though. You never know."

"Gotcha."

"I am afraid that I have not found him either," came Starfire's voice, loaded with disappointment.

"It's okay, Star, just keep looking. I know we'll find him."

"Dude, what if he's found what he's looking for and just, y'know, teleported away?" came the familiar sound of Beast Boy's voice.

"We're not leaving until we've searched this entire lab. I've just... got a feeling. I know he's still here. I know it."

"Have any of you seen Raven?" came the query from Starfire.

"Not since we got on the elevator, no." replied Cyborg.

"I thought she was with you guys." confessed the changeling.

"That's what I thought, too. She's obviously not responding to her communicator. We'll worry about her later, I'm sure she has a good excuse." mumbled Robin, annoyed at being

distracted with yet another problem. "Just keep searching. She'll turn up."

Robin continued across a long catwalk, bostaff ready for combat, eyes eagerly searching for his prey. By the time he reached the end of the catwalk, Robin paused and sighed.

'Dammit, where is Raven? We need her!' He thought, shaking his head in frustration.

Raven sat perfectly still, legs crossed, arms outstretched, eyes closed. Levitating a foot off the ground, her entire body remained still, save for a single part of her face. Her lips

moved silently, taking the form of her mantra. Over and over again, the same words soundlessly came to life. Using clairvoyance, Raven was attempting to locate the mystery man.

By calling upon greater and greater spells, she was able to search as many floors as possible, looking for any traces of magic use. This man was very powerful, but he was still a

man. And he was bound to make a mistake sooner or later. No matter how small it was, she would find him. And then she would capture him.

Over and over, her lips repeated: Azarath, metrion, zinthos. Azarath, metrion, zinthos. Azarath. Metrion. Zinthos.

Finally, within her mind's eye, she saw it. Just barely at first, but the image grew stronger and stronger as she increased her focus. She could see a black cloak shambling in a dark

room, moving silently past the intricately designed lasers of an alarm system. Having effortlessly made his way past the defences, the figure held out his hands, pointing them towards

a safe at the end of the room. The safe began to glow, a dull red, then an orange. Finally it began to melt. Moving his hands in opposite directions, the safe was quickly pried open.

Once split apart, the man approached the exposed safe, reached inside, and pulled out a small black box. He admired it for just a second before doubling over in pain.

"Now," was all she said before teleporting to the man's location.

She appeared directly behind the thin man, very close to him. Yet he did not seem to notice her. She began to step forward before she realized he was speaking.

"...have it. Yes, yes... Now let me speak to her..."

There was a mumbling Raven could not make out. Somebody was contacting him somehow, through a communication spell, perhaps, or even a radio... The man stood a mere foot

away from Raven, oblivious to her proximity. She noticed little things about him now. He had a slight hunch, betraying his tired nature, but he still carried himself in a dignified

manner. His cloak was also not completely black, but had a small red cross-crossing design across the back. She continued to listen to him speak.

"I know, I know... I'm glad you are alright. I will be back soon, I promise. This will all be over quickly, do not worry. I love you, too." Another pause, another deep mumble. "I

know this took longer than expected, I was attacked." More mumbling. "Some... strange children, nothing more. I will be returning now. Good-bye." Upon finishing his sentence, he

groaned in intense pain and doubled over once more. He slowly returned to his feet.

"Stop right there," said Raven slowly. The thin man's head snapped upright, and slowly he turned around.

"You... you... I do not understand why you cannot leave me alone!" He bellowed before shooting a fireball in her direction, dropping the black box in the process. Using a

telekinetic shield, she easily stopped his attack.

"Who ARE you? Who were you talking to?" she asked, levitating the safe and tossing it at him. He deflected it easily with telekinesis.

"I... am Grendel. And who I was talking to is none of your concern. Now get out of my way, or I will be forced to kill you." With that, he lunged at her, orange energy enveloping

his fists. Raven barely dodged out of the way in time. Enveloping him in a telekinetic aura, she tossed him towards the wall. Using his own power, he stopped himself seconds before

colliding.

"Why is such a powerful magician stealing something for somebody else?"

"STOP ASKING QUESTIONS!" Grendel roared, firing off orange balls of flame in Raven's direction, forcing her to dodge to the right. The fireballs ignited some machinery behind

her, causing an explosion and tossing Raven across the room, slamming her into a wall. The lasers that Grendel had been trying so hard to avoid at the front of the room flickered

and went out. The power went out on the floor, and the emergency lights came on, filling the room with a harsh yellow light.

Raven moaned and attempted to stand up, but found herself pulled to the ground by an unseen force. Grendel stood over her.

"You have been a worthy opponent. I hope we never meet again." He said simply, sliding the black box he'd pulled from the safe into a leather pouch beneath his cloak.

"Don't count on it!" she grunted. "Azarath... Metrion... ZINTHOS!"

Calling upon those words, she broke free of his bond, a look of surprise spreading across his face. Levitating into the air, she used her telekinetic aura to grab several instruments

from around the room, centering them all on him. He was quick to avoid them, but not quick enough. Part of a desk clipped his side, causing him to cry out in pain. Shortly

afterward, a chair leg smashed into the side of Grendel's head, sending him crashing to the ground.

"Now... tell me what's really going on." demanded Raven, hovering several feet above his prone body. He coughed, and slowly attempted to stand.

"Alright, alright. I will talk. You see..." he began, but without warning his hands shot out in Raven's direction. At that moment, the ceiling caved in, a large shard of jagged metal

missing Raven by inches. Using her mental shield, she was able to deflect some of the debris, but in the confusion found herself falling towards the ground under the weight. The floor

gave way seconds before she could crash into it, sending her into the level below. She landed on a table directly in front of Starfire.

"Raven!" exclaimed Starfire, using starbolts to destroy the tumbling debris.

"He's... getting away..." Raven groaned, pointing towards the hole in the ceiling. It was too late, however. With a blue flash, Grendel was gone.

Seconds after the crash, Beast Boy and Cyborg entered the room.

"Raven! Where were you? Did you find him?" demanded Cyborg.

"He is gone, I am afraid." blurted Starfire, looking towards the ground in sorrow.

"Awwwww man! All this searching for NOTHING!" complained Beast Boy. A harsh silence fell over the group as a stern-looking Robin entered the room. Cyborg and Beast Boy

looked as innocent as possible, while Starfire continued to look at her feet. Raven sat up and rubbed the back of her head, sore, and unamused at Robin's anger.

"Where were you?" Robin demanded, stopping directly in front of the table Raven was on.

"I was locating Grendel."

"You found him, I take it? Since you're now on a first-name basis and everything." he replied, displeasure filling his voice.

"For your information, yes, I did find him. And something is wrong, very wrong. Somebody is clearly forcing him to do this!"

"What makes you so sure?"

"I overhead a conversation he had with somebody. I don't know who. But it sounds like he doesn't want to be doing this in the first place. I think he's being blackmailed."

"That might be... but he still broke the law. And he still attacked us. Where is he now? Is he still in the building?"

"He is gone..." mumbled Starfire, raising her head for a moment before looking back towards the ground due to Robin's frosty stare.

"Starfire's right, he's gone." said Raven quietly.

"You let him get away? You engaged him without telling any of us? We could have HAD him, Raven, if we'd all worked together! We're a team!"

"There wasn't enough time. I knew there was more to this story than we thought, and I wanted to prove that first. When I found him, there wasn't enough time to tell anybody."

"Fine, whatever. Let's just return to the tower and figure out a way to track him down. I want him found." Before anybody could say anything, Robin did an about-face and made

his way towards the elevator. "Let's go."

Silence dominated the T-Car on the way back to the Tower. Robin stared straight ahead in the front seat, and Cyborg drove at a rational speed, not wishing to provoke the ire of

the Titans' leader.

Beast Boy was fast asleep, snoring lightly. Now and again he would shake and whimper, but for time being, he was long gone.

Raven stared out the window at the city passing them by in the night. Her chin in her hands, deep in thought, a look of sadness marked her face. She was stolen from her reverie by

a hand softly tapping her shoulder.

"You seem lost in a strange world, friend Raven," whispered Starfire, smiling. Raven looked into Starfire's friendly face and returned the expression with a slight smile of her own.

"None of this adds up, Star. He could have killed me when he collapsed the ceiling. He could have easily crushed me. That floor didn't just collapse on its own. He could have killed

me, and he didn't. This man isn't a villain. He's just a pawn. Whoever is controlling him is the villain."

"Do not worry. We will find this Grendel, we will find who is truly behind all of this, and everything will be settled as it should."

"I hope so, Star." whispered Raven, faintly smiling at the optimism in Starfire's words.

'I wish I could be that optimistic...' Thought Raven as the T-Car approached the Tower, dawn breaking to the east, ushering in a brand new day.

The floor of the condemned building creaked ominously beneath Grendel's feet. Pain swept through his body like waves crashing periodically on a beach. His head throbbed, his

side ached, and he felt like passing out.

"It will all be over soon enough..." he said quietly out loud, turning a corner in the darkened hallway into a large room with an unattended fire in the centre.

"Where is it?" came a voice from the darkness.

"It is here, do not worry." replied Grendel, opening his cloak to reveal the leather pouch. Opening the pouch, to removed the black box.

"Excellent! Place it on the ground."

Grendel did as he was commanded. He stood slowly, grunting in pain. "Let me see her," he ordered.

"In a moment. I believe you've earned it after your battle with the Teen Titans." came the voice again.

"The who?"

"Those 'children' you fought are known as the Teen Titans. They are a... bothersome group of insects who routine attempt to dispense justice in the city. I trust they were not a

problem for you?"

"For the most part, no. But they have a magic user as well. She is much more powerful than I originally suspected. I would even wager there is something... otherworldly about her..."

"You would be speaking of Raven. She is, as a matter of fact, half demon."

"I... understand. That makes sense."

"No matter. A man of your skills could easily destroy her, much less all five of them."

"I will do my best."

"You do not understand, then."

Grendel was seized with intense pain, bolts surging through his very skeleton. Screaming, he doubled over and toppled to the ground. "ENOUGH! PLEASE!" Grendel screamed,

shaking from the agony. The feeling ceased, and Grendel slowly brought himself to his knees.

The voice in the dark remained strong. "I chose you, Grendel, because of your skills, your powers, your abilities. If you cannot destroy five teenagers..."

"Should I cross them again, they will die." He twitched involuntarily. "All of them."

"Excellent. You may see her now."

In the corner of the room, a giant yellow ball appeared. It glowed in an unnatural way, and Grendel could make out a dark shape in the centre of the ball. He made his way across

the room, recognizing the features more and more the closer he came. Finally, he was directly in front of the ball. The features of a slender woman, her hair a fiery red and her face

elfin, became very clear.

"Aeschere..." Grendel whispered, his eyes wide and his voice quivering as he gazed into her cold, lifeless eyes. His eyes glowing crimson, he circled around to face the unseen figure

in the blackness. "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO HER?" An orange glow began to cover his gnarled hands, his face twisted into a mask of pure rage.

"Calm yourself. She is not dead, merely suspended, Grendel. Merely a precaution. I assure you, I am not a monster. I am a man of my word."

At that, the thin man began to slouch, his eyes returning to normal, the energy on his hands fading. He turned to face Aeschere once more, but the glowing ball was gone. Weary, he

slowly began to make his way out of the room. "I cannot wait to finish our contract and bring her home."

"Yes, well, first thing's first. You know where to go next."

"Yes... I will go tomorrow evening. And I will be swift."

"Excellent." The voice in the darkness emitted a horrible laugh, and Grendel shuddered before leaving the room and exiting the building.

'For Aeschere...' he thought solemnly, watching the sun rise for a moment before disappearing down an alleyway.

I hope you enjoyed Chapter 2, stay posted for Chapter 3! And please, feel free to review or comment. Thanks for reading!


	3. The Revelation

Here you go, Chapter 3, and things are getting interesting. I'd like to take this moment to thank everybody who's commented/reviewed so far! It's so great to hear some positive feedback!  
I don't own the Teen Titans, etc. etc. etc. Enjoy!

Chapter 3: The Revelation

It was the middle of the afternoon in Titan's tower, and tension had crept into the room like a black cat.  
Cyborg and Beast Boy sat on the couch, watching television and saying nothing, occasionally exchanging glances.  
Robin sat before a computer screen, endlessly analyzing data. There was a glint in his eyes so hard it could shatter glass.  
Starfire sat at a table reading a book of traditional Tamaranian poetry, trying to be as oblivious as possible to the uncomfortable silence in the room.  
Raven sat by the countertop, sipping a cup of herbal tea, her mind miles away. The television was the only sound anybody heard, but nobody was really paying attention to it. It was white noise, static, sounds in the background.  
After an hour of awkward apprehension, Beast Boy stood up and turned to face the rest of the room.  
"Isn't anybody going to say anything?" he asked, scanning the room. Nobody looked up from their work. "C'mon, guys! We can't just be like this! We're a team, remember?" "Some of us remember better than others." muttered Robin under his breath.  
"What was that?" shot Raven, an edge to her voice.  
"Nothing. I didn't say a word."  
"Fine. Be that way."  
Beast Boy gave a nervous chuckle. "Uhhh... I've got an idea... we can play a game. Maybe that'll help?"  
"No team sports. Raven doesn't like those." Spat Robin, looking up at Beast Boy finally.  
"Nothing involving strategy. Robin doesn't seem to like to think outside the box." came Raven's retort.  
"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Come on, guys..."  
"What was that supposed to mean, Raven?"  
"What was your little comment supposed to mean, Robin?"  
"Guys..." Beast Boy felt like a referee in a boxing match.  
"Maybe if you'd worked with us instead of on your own, we wouldn't have to wait for this mystery man to strike again before we could do anything."  
"Maybe if we figured out who's really behind all of this, we wouldn't have to stop the "mystery man" in the first place! And his name is Grendel, for your information." Raven's eyes briefly shone red. She was doing everything in power to keep her anger in check.  
"Will you guys..."  
"Give up, BB." offered Cyborg.  
"I don't care what his name is! He's an illusionist, Raven! He specializes in deception. Didn't you ever stop and think maybe it's all a lie? He's turning you against your own team!" "He's not turning me against my team. The only person who's "turning me" against anybody is you!"  
"I won't stand for this!" Robin stood up quickly, knocking his chair over. "If you want to entertain conspiracy theories, that's okay. Just don't get in our way. Right, gang?" His mouth switched to a cocky smile.  
The silence that followed was unsettling. Robin's features twisted into a scowl.  
"Well, uh, Robin, man... we're not taking any sides. We just, uh, just think maybe you guys should cool off." came Cyborg's timid comment.  
"Yes, Cyborg is right. We are all working towards the same goal, protecting the city. Maybe this period of remaining mildly cold will allow us to pursue this goal in a better manner." Starfire stood up and walked over toward Robin, putting her hand on his shoulder. Robin didn't move for a moment, then put his hand on Starfire's.  
"Yeah, you guys are going psycho. Sure, Raven didn't follow orders. Sure, maybe this Grendel guy is being blackmailed or whatever. You guys are taking this wayyy too seriously and..."  
"We're taking it seriously because this _**is**_ serious, Beast Boy. I can't take this anymore!" screamed Raven, cutting him off. She promptly stormed out of the room.  
Cyborg, Starfire and Beast Boy's eyes fell on Robin.  
"What?" he said finally, clearly not pleased.  
"Robin, man... Star's right. We're all working towards the same goal. Cut Raven some slack. She's just trying to help." Cyborg tried to sound as neutral as possible, not wanting any more tempers to flare this evening.  
Robin was silent for a few seconds. Finally, he sighed. "Yeah, you're right. You're absolutely right. I get a little... obsessed sometimes. I'd better go apologize." He quickly jogged out of the room to find Raven.  
Beast Boy clapped his hands together. "Thank God that's over with! I think we all need to relax. Let's start the game! I'm going to do an impression, and you guys have to guess who it is..."  
"I am sorry, Beast Boy, but I am afraid I am not in the proper mood for guessing what human's identity you are stealing." confessed Starfire, floating off in a random direction.  
"Yeah, sorry man. You wanna just watch some TV and chill?" offered Cyborg.  
Beast Boy rolled his eyes. "Fiiiiine."

The sun was just beginning to set when the soldier spotted a man approaching the west gate. The man was approaching the chain-link fence that divided the military base from the rest of the city. He quickly trotted towards the figure, rifle at the ready.  
As he approached, the man's appearance became more clear. He was thin, and had a long black-and-red cloak and a tall hat. Nervousness began to knot the soldier's stomach. He didn't like the looks of this guy.  
"Sir, this is government property!" the soldier barked, aiming his rifle at the man in the cloak. "You must leave now, or I will be forced to detain you!"  
Despite the threat, the man did not stir.  
"Step away from the fence, sir!" he repeated, rifle aimed squarely at the thin figure's head.  
The cloaked man raised his hands quickly, and the soldier's rifle shot from his hands and disassembled in midair. The pieces of the gun rained down harmlessly from the sky and onto the soldier's helmet, making soft 'clinking' noises as they bounced off and plopped on the ground.  
"Go away." was all the figure said before turning his hands towards the fence. Within seconds the fence began to glow orange and split apart in a circular pattern, making a neat hole. The soldier stared in utter disbelief, first at the man, then at his own rifle in pieces on the ground, and finally at the hole in the fence. He turned and began to run.  
"On second though, I can't have you alarming the others just yet." Grendel called to him, pointing a spread hand in the soldier's direction. A telekinetic aura grabbed the man and pulled him back to Grendel.  
"Sleep." Grendel blurted when the man was close enough, and the man's eyes closed instantly. The thin man placed him gently on the ground.  
"Now, to get this over with."

Alone in the darkness, her hood up and her eyes closed tight, the only sound Raven could hear was her own breathing. She had been on her bed meditating for several minutes now to calm down after the altercation with Robin.  
Somewhere along the line, however, the line between meditation and dreaming became blurred. She felt strange, one moment feeling like she was falling, another like she was suddenly in a crowd of people. She heard weird voices that would change without warning. Above all was the continuing feeling like she was moving towards something, but what exacly it was she did not know. Maybe it was the lack of sleep due to last night's battle, maybe it was her achieving another state of consciousness. Whatever it was, Raven opened her eyes to find herself somewhere other than the Tower.  
The only sound she heard now was the drip, drip, dripping of water droplets into a puddle. She examined her surroundings. She appeared to be in a muddy basement somewhere. The walls and ceiling were cracked and marked with holes of varying sizes. The dripping was coming from a cracked pipe slowly leaking water onto a slab of concrete in the corner. There was an opening directly across from her that she presumed had had a door at some point. Curious, she made her way into the hallway.  
Fading sunlight poured through a window immediately to her upper left. In the left hand corner was a rotten wooden door. Raven tried the knob, but it was locked. She was tempted to simply destroy the door, but something in her pushed her to move along. She turned to her right, examining the corridor which stretched a good ten feet in front of her. At the end, there was another window, more signs of dusk, and another opening in the corner. This time, there was no door... but there was a light on inside. She decided this was where she was supposed to be going, so she made her way to the opening. She was more than surprised to see what was inside.  
She could not figure out exactly what it was she was looking at. There was simply a large ball emitting an eerie yellow light. She entered the room and made her way towards it, feeling intensely drawn to the glowing sphere. As she got closer, she could make out a dark shape inside of it. By the time she was directly in front of it, she realized that the vague image was a human being. It looked to be a woman, her hair an incredible shade of red, her face slender, her body petite. She stared in awe at the figure, wondering just who she was looking at.  
Suddenly, the woman's eyes opened, looking directly into Raven's. Raven gasped and heard a voice inside her head.  
"Aeschere." was all it said.  
"Is that... is that who you are?" Raven queried, her voice low, her eyes squinting against the light.  
Without warning, three loud thumps were heard. Raven stepped back, maintaining eye contact with the woman inside the sphere. Everything began to become hazy and grey, and the image inside the yellow glow began to fade. Three more thumps were heard, louder this time. The entire building seemed to shake.  
"I'll find you." Raven whispered as everything vanished before her gaze into a pure white void.

"Captain, this is Private Samson. I think you oughta come take a look at this." A soldier's voice crackled over the radio.  
Captain Falconer picked it up and pressed the button to talk. "Where are you?"  
"Up by the west end. There's a hole in the fence and we've got an unconscious soldier here."  
Falconer swore under his breath before pressing to speak again. "I'll be right there. Don't move." He stood up from his desk quickly, stepping out the door and pointing to two nearby sentries. "You two, come with me." Weapons drawn, they climbed into a nearby jeep and made their way northwest.  
Moments after their departure, a blue flash briefly lit up the Captain's room. Long fingers grasped a map on his desk, picking it up and unfolding it meticulously. Violet eyes scanned the paper before finally locating something.  
"East Building Five, Sub-basement Two." muttered Grendel before returning the map to the desk and teleporting away once more.  
Captain Falconer and his men arrived to find Private Samson propping up a dazed soldier.  
"What happened, Private?" Falconer questioned the man laying being held up by Pvt. Samson.  
The soldier coughed before looking up. "There was this man, this creepy looking man, in a cloak. And he... well it's kinda fuzzy, but..."  
"Just spit it out, soldier!"  
"Well, uh, he, uh, took my rifle apart without touching it, grabbed me without using his hands, and knocked me unconscious without touching me."  
Captain Falconer blinked, a disturbed look overtaking his face. He scratched his chin for a second before finally speaking.  
"I... see." He droned before picking up his radio and relaying the story to General Herman, the commander of the base. After telling him everything, there was a noticable pause on the other end of the radio.  
"Sir?" asked Falconer, his voice loaded with nervous timber.  
"Lock it down, lock everything down! Put everybody on full alert!" came the voice from the other end.  
"Sir, yes sir!" replied Falconer.  
"I'm not taking any chances, Falconer. Not with the project underway. I'm calling in some outside help. Herman over and out!"  
"Over and out." replied Falconer. He turned to the two sentries. "You heard the man, let's GO! GO! GO! Lock down, people! Lock down!"  
As the men above scrambled to secure the base, Grendel was cautiously making his way through a dim corridor in the second sub-basement.  
'All this teleportation tires me out. Too much conflict, too much tension.' He thought to himself, coughing.  
Grendel had had little trouble making his way to his target. A few unconscious soldiers lay hidden behind him, stuffed in closets or simply placed out of the way, the only evidence that anybody had been there. A few feet ahead was a large steel door with a large sign on the front of it--"PROJECT 42." Grendel smiled at his good fortune.  
'I will be out of here in mere moments.' He thought. 'He will get what he wants, and Aeschere will get her freedom, and I will not have had to kill anybody. Especially not Raven.'  
Grendel unconsciously bit his lip just thinking that name.  
'This nightmare will have ended.'  
Suddenly, the corridor went pitch black. Within a few seconds, eerie red lights came on. A low buzz pulsed every few seconds. A heavy steel wall fell in front of Project 42's door, sealing it shut. Grendel's hands balled into tight fists.  
"No!" he whispered hoarsely before a blue flash enveloped his body and he disappeared.

Three more thumps. Raven's eyes shot open and she found herself back in her room, cross-legged on her bed. Just as she remembered.  
"Raven?" came a voice at her door. Robin. She took a deep breath, and stood up.  
"I'm coming." she said in a dull monotone, making her way across the dark room towards the door. Her hand touched the knob, and stood there for a moment. She took another deep breath, still shaken by both the fight earlier and the vision she'd just received. She opened the door as slowly as possible.  
"What do you want, Robin?" she demanded, a bitter tone to her voice.  
Robin looked taken aback. "Well... I... I..."  
"You what?"  
"I... I've come to apologize, Raven. I said some things out of anger that were uncalled for. I'm sorry I was so hard on you. I... I guess I got a little too obsessed. I was just... bothered by the fact that you acted on your own in such a dangerous situation."  
Raven looked at the ground. She was still bothered by the way he reacted, but he seemed to be sincere in his words. "Yeah, well, I was okay, alright? I'm sorry I didn't act according to plan."  
"I, I know that. But, please... blackmailed or not, we should be working together to solve this case. It's like Star said, we're all working towards the same goal. We're all trying to right a wrong. We were just using different methods." With that said, he smiled.  
Raven's eyes quickly met Robin's before looking back at the ground. A brief smile flickered across her lips. "Star has an interesting way with words sometimes. But she's right. This isn't me saying I was wrong, though. This man is being blackmailed. It's the only logical explanation."  
Robin stared at Raven's face, her eyes locked on the floor, her mouth a simple pursed slit. He scratched his neck, uncomfortable.  
"Robin, I don't care if you don't believe me. Just promise me that... when we capture him... we listen to him. We give him the chance to tell his side. I don't think that's asking the impossible of you."  
Robin gave a sigh. "Okay, Raven. You have my word. We'll give him a chance to explain everything. But if he is lying..."  
"If he's lying, then I will be more than accomodating to whatever it is you want to do to him. Lock him up, throw away the key, let him rot. But I know, I just know, that someone has taken something very precious from this man. And that's why all of this is happening."  
"Raven, how can you be so sure of all of this? Did he tell you?"  
"No." For a brief second Raven could picture the eyes of the woman inside the glowing yellow sphere staring directly into hers. "It's just a feeling I have."

Grendel tried not to be distracted by the flashing lights, the alarms, and the sounds of the men trying desperately to open the solid sheet of steel he'd been able to easily teleport past. Well, not as easy as he thought. He was tired, and it was getting harder and harder to take the easy way out. He'd have to be careful.  
Every now and again he'd hear a voice over the loudspeaker: "I don't know how you got in there, but you can't escape now! Come out with your hands up!"  
He replied in the only way he found fitting. A demonic voice.  
"GiVE mE WhAt i wAnt ANd I WIlL Go awaY!" he bellowed, more than loud enough to be heard on the other side of the steel slab.  
He had no idea what kind of reaction he was getting, but he was hoping they'd just leave him alone. He knew they wouldn't just give up as easily as the police did. At this point, he didn't care. He was too close to his goal to just quit.  
Like a man possessed, he searched the room, tossing filing cabinets this way and that, lifting boxes, breaking desks open. Finally, he found exactly what he was looking for.  
A tiny blue crystal encased in a special clear box sat on a metal table in the corner of the room. Smiling, Grendel picked it up, admired it briefly, and placed it in his leather pouch.  
"It is over. Finally." In a blue flash, both he and the crystal were gone.  
Suddenly, he was seized with tremendous pain. Already tired, he completely lost control, and was overcome with a free-falling sensation. Disoriented and nauseated, he felt himself collide with something solid. He opened his eyes and saw nothing but a grey haze. He heard only one sound.  
"Do you have it?" came the voice inside his head.  
"Gahh... yes... yes..." he mumbled, barely audible. A hacking cough shook his body.  
"DO YOU HAVE IT?" screamed the voice, the noise piercing inside his head, causing him to cry out in agony.  
"YES! God, Yes!" he bellowed back, slowly trying to regain his senses.  
"Good. Get it back here immediately." was all the voice said, and with another, shorter jolt of pain, the communication ended.  
Taking several deep breaths, Grendel opened his eyes once more. He found himself outside, two blocks from East Building 5. He began to stand, wobbly at first, but he quickly regained his composure. A few more deep breaths, and he was ready to go. He knew he didn't have the energy to teleport, but he'd run back to the abandoned building if he had to.  
His contemplations were interrupted by the sounds of heavy footsteps and shouting voices.  
"There he is!"  
"Don't move!"  
"HANDS ON YOUR HEAD! NOW!"  
Grendel turned slowly, coming face-to-face with eight heavily armed soldiers.  
"I don't know how you got past us, mister..." began the man Grendel recognized as a Captain from his uniform.  
The thin man exhaled and cut him off. "Gentlemen... you picked decidedly the wrong time for this nonsense."  
His violet eyes glowing, he raised his hands, knocking soldiers into each other, flinging them to the ground, and tearing their rifles from their hands. He tossed the Captain into the wall of a nearby building, and sent the man directly behind him flying backwards twenty feet. Taking the opportunity, Grendel turned and sprinted towards the hole in the fence. It was his only chance.  
Captain Falconer lay unconscious on the ground. His men were slowly getting to their feet, groaning in pain. A surly corporal, having just finished standing, surveyed the scene.  
"That 'outside help' the Captain was talking about better get here soon." he grumbled.

Raven and Robin walked back into the main room together.  
"Well, well, well. Have you two finally settled this?" queried Cyborg.  
"Yes, have the hostilities ended?" asked Starfire, hope heavy in her voice.  
"Yeah, we're cool. Right, Raven?"  
Raven bit her lip and managed a smile. All she could see were those eyes, that flaming red hair. All she could hear was that voice. She knew this was the right thing to do for the team. But deep down, a tiny part of her felt almost like she was selling someone else short.  
"Yeah. We're cool." she droned.  
"Uh, you sure about that?" asked Beast Boy, scratching his head in confusion.  
'Maybe it'd be easier if I just told them...' thought Raven, nodding briskly at the green-skinned lad's question.  
"Is everything okay? I thought..." began Robin, a hint of fear underscoring his words.  
"Listen, uh, there's something I feel I should tell you guys..." she began. Her words were oblierated by the loud blare of an alarm.  
"It's gonna have to wait, Raven!" bellowed Cyborg as everybody made their way to the T-Car.  
"Looks like our friend has struck again." yelled Beast Boy.  
Moments later everybody sat in their proper seats, the tension and energy coursing through their bodies and seemingly radiating into the air.  
Raven felt only butterflies and uncertainty. She had to talk to Grendel. Alone. Without disturbing her team mates. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, and put on the best image of a heroine ready for action she could.  
Robin slapped on his seat belt and pointed towards the windshield. "Titans! Go!"  
"I thought you'd never say it!" yelled Cyborg, laughing and opening the garage door before zipping off into the night.

There you have it, Chapter 3. Chapter 4 will be coming soon! And, hey, keep those comments/reviews coming! Always appreciated. Thanks for reading!


	4. The Truth

Hello, and welcome to Chapter 4. Sorry about the time delay between updates; it's been a rather hectic week, school-wise. But I'm back, fully charged and ready! Before I begin: I don't own the Teen Titans, etc etc etc. Without further ado, I give you... the fourth chapter.

Chapter 4: The Truth

The Titans arrived to find the base locked up tight. Security was everywhere. Armed men in gasmasks brandished heavy machine guns, several of them pointed directly at the T-Car  
as they approached the gate. A gigantic, intimidating soldier approached the car, rifle cradled in his arms. Cyborg rolled down the window and looked up at him.

"Teen Titans?" he asked gruffly, and Cyborg nodded. "Okay." he shouted, waving his right hand at one of the guards at the front gate. Within seconds, the gate began to creak  
open. The Titans drove into the base, the gate closing behind them as they made their entry.

A short, squat man with a large grey moustache approached the car as the Titans began to pile out. He saluted them, and after a brief moment of confusion, the Titans half-heartedly  
returned the salute, perplexed.

"At ease!" he yelled, and the Titans allowed their hands to fall back to their sides. Cyborg and Beast Boy exchanged 'get-a-load-of-this-guy' glances.

"General Herman, I presume?" asked Robin, offering his hand to the tiny man. His hand was seized and shaken vigorously.

"You'd be correct, soldier. You must be Robin!" Robin nodded. "Well, son, we have ourselves a bit of a situation."

"I received your information by uploading your coded e-mail while we were in the car. We know exactly who this is. Don't worry about a thing."

"Good, good. That's what I like to hear. Uhhh, but there is one important thing you should know."

"What's that?" asked Robin in an inquisitive tone.

"We have good reason to believe that he's stolen something that is of... the highest interest to national security. I can't tell you exactly what it is, but suffice it to say, there is a small  
chance that, uh... if damaged, our mystery thief could explode and destroy the surrounding sixty mile radius."

The Titan's mouths dropped one at a time, a look of horror on their faces.

"We don't think he's aware of this, judging by the reckless way he dispatched several of our men. Basically, be careful when apprehending him."

"Don't worry, General! We'll, uh, be as soft... and hard... on him as possible!" blurted Beast Boy, grinning and giving another mock salute. His words sinking in, his grin faded away.  
"Did that make sense?"

"No. But that's not surprising." said Raven, a slight smile on her face.

"Glad to see you are back to normal, friend Raven!" spoke Starfire, smiling softly.

'They don't suspect a thing,' the pale girl thought. 'The first chance I get, I have to find Grendel. I have to ask him about Aeschere.' Her thoughts were interrupted by a new voice. A man with a bandaged head had arrived and was speaking while pointing to a map of the base.

"We last saw him here, a few blocks from his original target, this building right here." he explained, gesturing appropriately. "He disarmed us, and several of our men indicated that he was running north towards a hole he had made earlier. It can be found right here. It's heavily guarded right now, so I don't know if he'll try to continue through that hole or make a new one. We're combing the compound to try and locate him, but he's very slippery."

"And that's why we called you! We know you'll finish the job. Godspeed, Teen Titans! Bring 'em back alive!" bellowed General Herman, saluting one more time. "DIS-missed!"

"Let's go!" ordered Robin, and the Titans made their way north.

Meanwhile, on the north end, a contingent of heavily armed guards stood, waiting, by a hummer. With one man manning the heavy machine gun atop the vehicle, another six wielded their own rifles. Their faces hard, their stance rigid, they were ready for anything.

'Oh God! How can I be this tired?' thought Grendel as he made his way north, hobbling along as quickly as possible, periodically coughing. Ignoring the growing sense of light-headedness, he pressed on, driven by a mixture of desperation and his constant thoughts of his imprisoned love. He turned off the last street before the hole and stopped dead in his tracks. His eyes widened at the sight of the armed soldiers not ten feet away. "Please..." mouthed Grendel, looking up at the sky and trying to catch his breath.

"It's him! Open fire!" shouted one of the soldiers, pointing in Grendel's direction. Grendel's look melted to one of pure panic as the soldier's weapons began to spark and bullets began to fly past his head. Reacting as quickly as possible, Grendel dove behind the nearest building for cover. The sound of bullets ricocheting off of the wall beside him caused him to twitch violently, fear shooting through him in electric spasms.

"No, no, no! Please, God, no! I am so close..." Grendel moaned, overwhelmed by sensation. "Okay, think. You can get out of this."

"Hold your fire! Johannsen, Byrd, you two advance on his position, draw him out. The rest of you, provide cover!" came a yell from the soldier's location. Footsteps followed, and suddenly Grendel's eyes lit up. Diving from behind the building, he used his telekinetic aura to knock the two approaching soldiers to the ground, pinning them. The rest of the squad, which had advanced past the hole a short distance into the base, had little time to react as he tossed the machine gunner out of the vehicle, throwing him a good ten feet away. His hands then began to glow orange, and a fireball shot towards the hummer.

"Get down!" screamed a soldier, and the men began to dive for cover as the fireball enveloped the rear of the large automobile. After a few moments of flames spreading over it, the hummer exploded, sending a massive plume of smoke and fire into the sky.

Dazed, the machine gunner was the first of the soldiers to regain his footing. Brushing himself off, examining his body for any injuries, he found he was... perfectly okay. "Call out! Everybody alright?" he yelled. A chorus of groggy but healthy soldiers followed.

"Anybody see which way he went?" asked Johannsen, picking up his rifle and checking it for damage. He was met with nothing but grim faces and uncertain answers.

Back on the other side of the base, the massive explosion did not go unnoticed. The smoke and fire were faintly visible to all of the Titans, their heads sharply turning at the sound.

"It's worse than we thought, team." came the dreary voice of Robin.

"I keep thinking the next explosion we hear is gonna be the last one!" griped a visibly concerned Beast Boy. "When that mystery thingy goes ka-blooey..." he shuddered.

"We're going to stop that from happening, Beast Boy. Don't worry about it." replied Robin.

"Yeah, man. Try not to think about your impending doom!" came Cyborg, a huge grin spreading across his face as he mimicked a mushroom cloud with his hands. Beast Boy's eyes widened, and Cyborg started to laugh.

"Cyborg, knock it off. Here's what we're going to do. I'm going to take the centre road of the base towards the explosion. Beast Boy and Cyborg, you two take the eastern road and converge on the same location. Starfire and Raven, you two take the western road, same thing. I'm urging all of you who can fly to do so, it'll make this much easier. By splitting up but maintaining a bearing on that location, we're sure to find him."

"You're, uh... you're letting us split up again?" asked Beast Boy, his eyes clearly locked on Raven. While he expected an acidic reply, Raven's mind seemed to be elsewhere.

"Hey, I trust you guys." came the reply. He flashed a friendly smile in Raven's direction as well. Realizing Robin had spoken, she snapped back to reality.

"Sorry about that... I just thought of something." she confessed.

"What is it?" asked Starfire, tilting her head slightly.

"If he already has what he wants, why is he still in the base? Why hasn't he teleported away? The only reason we found him the last time was because he hadn't found what he wanted. So why is he still here?"

Robin shrugged. "I can't answer that, but I do know we can't look a gift horse in the mouth. The more time we talk, the greater the chance he could escape anyway. I'll meet you guys on the north end!" he declared, running up the centre road.

"Well, you heard the man." came Cyborg, and he and Beast Boy made their way towards the eastern road. Beast Boy turned into a bat and made his way into the sky, chittering now and again.

"Let us go, friend Raven!" blurted Starfire, floating into the sky and making his way westward.

"Star..." began Raven, biting her lip and looking towards the ground.

"What is it? Is something the matter? There is precious time to not be wasted."

"Star... there is something I have to do." having spoken those words, the shadow of a raven enveloped her body and she disappeared. Starfire's eyes widened immensely before her brow twisted and a look of confusion overcame her.

"Oh dear... Robin will not like this. He will not like this one bit." she mumbled before taking off into the sky.

Leaning against the sink in the bathroom of an office, Grendel was coughing uncontrollably. His body shuddering violently, he hacked over and over again, valiantly trying to regain his composure. His breathing was ragged by this point, and he held his sides in pain. Finally, the coughing subsided, if only for the moment. Looking at himself in the mirror, he saw nothing but a shell of the magician he knew. He was a wreck. His hair was wild and spread all over the place, his face paler than usual, bruises blotting at random parts of his body. His eyes were bloodshot, and beneath them were huge dark bags. Feeling dizzy, he slid to the ground and held his head in his hands. Outside he heard shouts and heavy footsteps, orders barked and orders obeyed. It was only a matter of time before he was found.

"Oh, Grendel old friend. This is not how it was supposed to end." he moaned aloud to the ruined spectre in the mirror.

He heard the door to the office open, wincing at the sound. He remained still, trying with every ounce of strength not to cough. He heard heavy boots stomping towards the bathroom.

'I am sorry, Aeschere. I am sorry I have failed you.' he thought solemnly, a tear welling in his left eye. It trickled slowly down his cheek, almost in time with the bootsteps.

Suddenly, Grendel found himself seized with a strange feeling. He felt incredibly light headed, and darkness began to spread before his vision.

'No! I cannot... no!' were his final thoughts before everything vanished before him.

The door to the bathroom opened. Cyborg and Beast Boy peaked in, flicking the light on. A harsh flourescent beam illuminated the room...

But there was nobody inside.

"I thought we were close. This is so annoying." muttered Cyborg, punching the doorframe in disappointment.

"Wait... what's that in the corner?" asked Beast Boy, stepping into the room and making his way towards the object in question.

"Is that... is that his hat?" asked the robotic man, puzzlement dominating his voice.

The first thing Grendel noticed when he regained his senses was that he was missing his hat. He was very conscious of the sudden lack of weight on top of his skull, no matter how slight. He felt the top of his head, and was extremely disappointed to feel only his hair. His disappointment was usurped by extreme joy when he realized that he was free. He was in an alien world, but he was free. He looked around before him, and was witness to a most unusual world. He was standing atop a light grey rock, about ten feet long and 8 feet wide, that was floating in the middle of an abyss. Above him was only darkness and more rocks of varying sizes. He sighed. Joy overtook him yet again when he breathed deeply and realized he wasn't about to explode into another coughing fit. He wasn't completely healthy, but he now found himself in a less perilous condition. He seemed almost detached from the body he recalled so vividly mere moments before.

'Maybe I died and this is Heaven?' he thought. 'No, it cannot be. If it was Heaven... she would be here...'

"Hello." came a droning voice behind him, snapping him out of his curious mood. An all-too-familiar voice. His eyes wide, he turned around slowly. Before him stood the same cloaked figure he had come to loathe--and respect--in such a short period of time. "You were in very rough shape. It took a lot of effort to heal you."

An accusatory finger shot from beneath Grendel's cloak, pointing directly at the girl before him. "You are a sadistic creature, healing your prey just so you can destroy them honourably. Well, do what you wish. I am in neither the mood nor the proper state of mind to fight back."

"I didn't bring you here to fight you. I've come to talk to you." Raven replied, slowly striding towards him. Grendel did not move, but instead narrowed his eyes.

"Talk? Talk? You wish to talk?" he exploded, his violet eyes turning crimson. His own black aura started to rise behind him, swirling like streaks of oil in a puddle of water. "I cannot believe what I am hearing. Whatever could you possibly have to say to me?"

"Aeschere." shot Raven defiantly, unmoved by the implied threat. Her eyes locked confidently on his, awaiting reaction. The response was exactly what she had expected: silence.

"E-Excuse me?" he mumbled, his eyes returning to normal, his aura fading. He began to slouch at that moment.

"You heard me. Who is Aeschere? Why is she so important to you?" Raven pressed, stepping towards him. He began to slink backwards, incredibly uncomfortable. His eyes were dilated and he seemed disoriented.

"I do not know what you are talking about." he mumbled, barely audible. Raven continued to walk towards him, determined. Her eyes were fiery with passion and her face taut. She was going to get an answer no matter what.

"I saw her, Grendel. I saw Aeschere. I just need to know who she is to you."

"You... you saw her?"

"I did."

"What... what did you see?"

"She's trapped. Inside a... glowing sphere of some kind. She's very beautiful, Grendel. The red hair suits her." Raven smiled, and placed her hand on his arm. He shrank back, breaking from her loose grasp. He slowly sank to the ground, his cloak pooling beneath him as he began to lean forward. He grabbed his knees and sat there, hunched before the his ashen benefactor.

"Simply put, Aeschere is... my reason for being."

"You love her."

"I do." his words were a choked whisper. He stared straight at the ground, immobile.

"And someone has kidnapped her. That's why you're doing these things." She stared at the man before her, dazed, barely moving. In a word, he looked... shattered.

"Yes. It is a tale of woe, told by a fool, orchestrated by a madman." He said finally, breaking his stupor by looking up into Raven's eyes. She offered him a hand, and he took it, standing slowly. He let out a long sigh.

"Let's hear it. I must know what happened." she asked, releasing her grip on his hand.

"I will give you the abridged version." He stood there for a moment, gathering his thoughts, not wanting to skip over any important details. Finally, he drew in a deep breath and began.

"I am a law abiding man, Raven. Despite my powers, I do not wish to use them for ill-gotten gains. I am self-made, everything I treasure I have achieved through nothing but hard work, and I pride myself on that. But a month ago, I realized... that I was in a position where I was unable to make ends meet. I did not wish to trouble Aeschere with so terrible a notion, so I began to discretely look for a means to make some currency. All other options depleted, I began to check the classifieds, and there was this great offer for a magician. It appeared to be something simple, birthday parties and what have you. I could not turn down such a great monetary offer." He breathed in deeply again, his eyelids closing. Raven noticed his hands were now balled tightly into fists.

"Go on." she prodded gently. His eyes opened once more, and his hands relaxed.

"It was a set up. I went into a plain white room with just a video camera. I demonstrated my powers while a voice called to me over a loudspeaker. The whole scene seemed surreal and unnatural, but I was desperate, Raven. I did not care about anything but getting the job. When he realized just how powerful I was, he asked me how badly I needed the money. When I let him know, he told me I was now in..." He paused, his eyes narrowing.

The next words dripped from his mouth like venom. "His debt. He said I was in his debt. I could not believe what I was hearing. He told me that I was to help him accomplish some goals, or I would face grave consequences. When I told him he did not scare me, the wall opened up to reveal a television screen. On that screen... was my wife. In the arms of two very large robots. The voice told me to do what he said, or he would kill her. He never let me see her in person for a long time after that. I could only talk to her through the communicator, and although it involved tremendous pain, I treasured every second I got to speak to her." He rubbed his right eye, pretending it was nothing. Raven could tell he was wiping away a tear.

He gathered himself and spoke again. "He finally let me see her yesterday... and she was in the same sphere you described. I cannot bear to see her like this. I cannot bear to behave like this! I am not a thief, Raven. I am a magician. I just want my life back!"

"We can help you. We _want_ to help you, Grendel."

Grendel stood rigidly straight, and examined her carefully, his eyes squinting. She did not move, and simply stared back. After a few moments, she smiled. With that, his gaze softened.

"No tricks." he said simply. "The man who did this... he is very clever. To further ensure my cooperation, he has implanted an electrode into my body. It allows him to communicate with me, but its secondary function, as I mentioned, is to cause great pain. If he suspects anything is wrong... he will kill my wife and myself, and likely all of you as well."

"Who is behind this, Grendel? Who has brought this suffering upon you?"

Grendel looked at the ground. "I do not know his name, and I have never seen his face. From what I have seen, his robots do most of his work. They are very broad, very strong, gold in colour. While I have spoken to him often, but never face to face. Always through his communicator, or in the dark."

"Okay... We've got a voice in the dark to worry about. What's he been getting you to steal?"

Grendel shrugged, hands spread. "All I know is what he tells me, and he never tells me what exactly it is that I am pilfering. I do not know what grand scheme he has for these devices."

"I understand..." Raven put a hand to her chin, pondering. "Well, we'll make better sense of this back at the Tower. Shall we go, Grendel?"

Grendel smiled faintly. "Yes. Let us go."

Raven closed her eyes, and prepared to recite her mantra.

"You are even more powerful than I gave you credit for, Raven. Bringing me to another dimension is... impressive."

She smiled briefly. "Thank you." was all she said before they were enveloped in darkness.

Back at the base, our weary heroes continued their fruitless task.

"Beast Boy, don't do that." Cyborg's voice was very weary. He was tired of looking, and spending an afternoon with the green lad had starting to become tiresome.

"Why not?" came the defiant reply muffled from inside a rather large hat. The look of a stovepipe hat covering Beast Boy's entire face elicited a giggle from Starfire, who landed next to the duo.

"You have been successful, yes? You acquired the Grendel's headgear!" Starfire beamed, her hands clasped together in front of her. She patted Beast Boy on the top of his hat, causing him to stumbled backwards and fall to the ground. Cyborg yanked the hat off of the changeling.

"That's not exactly successful, Star. We're supposed to find the guy that goes with the hat." Cyborg crumpled _le grand chapeau_ in his hands with a certain amount of malicious delight.

"Perhaps we will find him when he comes back to locate his lost wardrobe?"

"Star... if he wants to escape that badly, I don't think he's going to care too much about..."

Cyborg was cut off by sudden movement directly to their right, between two buildings. Beast Boy slowly got to his feet.

"Dude... it's him!" screamed Beast Boy, pointing at the cloaked figure emerging from a black portal. He quickly morphed into a grizzly bear, ready for battle.

"I knew he would return for his helmet!" shouted Starfire, rising in the air, eyes beginning to glow an emerald shade. The metal teen ignored her.

"Grendel!" he shouted, readying his sonic cannon. He aimed directly for the thin man's emotionless face before his target was obscured by a flash of purple and grey. Lowering his weapon, he realized what had just stepped in the path of his shot.

"Raven? What the heck are you doing?" he demanded, his voice irate.

"Stop! Grendel is coming with us... peacefully! So everybody just relax... he's on our side!"

Starfire looked at Cyborg, who was busy sending curious looks at the ursine Beast Boy. On his haunches, the green bruin shrugged, a very puzzled look on his face.

Raven turned to look at Grendel. His face was unamused.

"How do I know I can trust these people?" He said simply.

"You've just got--" was all she could say before a small explosion erupted at their feet, tearing them apart. Tumbling to the ground, Grendel grunted, his head colliding hard with the ground. Raven lost her balance and fell backwards, crying out in surprise.

"Deceitful witch! You lied to me! You lied to me!" howled Grendel, his eyes locked on Raven's with a look of pure hatred before disappearing once more in a blue flash.

"No!" Raven screamed over and over again until her voice was hoarse. She punched the ground with her fists twice before her eyes began to glow red.

"**WHO DID THAT**?" she demanded, an unearthly rage in her voice. She stood up to see a very content Robin, a broad smirk on his face. In his hands, he held Grendel's leather pouch. In the chaos that had erupted, he had somehow removed it from the magician's person. Seeing Raven's anger, his brow furrowed.

"What's wrong with you, Raven? I got the device away from him."

"He was giving himself up peacefully! That explosion ruined any hope of a peaceful resolution!"

"What, you were talking to him again? Alone? What happened to working towards the same goal?"

"What happened to capturing him alive?"

"It doesn't matter that he got away, we'll find him. All that matters is that he got away empty handed. I did what was necessary to disarm him. Nobody was in any danger."

"You almost blew us all to pieces in the process! What if that explosion had set off whatever is in the pouch?" she gestured to the black leather object in Robin's hands. He turned his attention to it briefly before returning his eyes to Raven's face.

"My concussion grenades aren't powerful enough to detonate anything!" came his retort.

"This is all beside my point. Now we'll never know who's behind all of this!" She paused to collect herself, exhausted. Robin stared at her, waiting for her to say something. The remaining Titans had finally approached the two shouting Teens, apprehensive looks on their faces.

Finally, Raven shook her head. "I thought we had an agreement, Robin."

"I thought so, too, Raven." he said simply, his features slack. "But apparently we're still not on the same page."

"Apparently." she spat, looking at the ground. She brought her hood up, wrapping herself tightly in her cloak.

"I'm sorry. I did what I had to do. I did what was necessary." offered Robin with a shrug.

"No. That was not necessary. At all. And I need to be alone." she finished her words and disappeared into a shadow which had opened behind her.

"Dammit." cursed Robin, hanging his head. Cyborg patted him on the back as Beast Boy and Starfire stared solemnly at their leader.

Meanwhile, in an abandoned building across town, a meeting around a fire was not going very well at all...

"You are late." came the voice in the dark, clearly unhappy.

"The Titans again." the thin man grumbled, eyes locked on the ground. Betrayal lay heavy on his heart.

"And they are still alive."

"How did you..." began Grendel before doubling over in intense pain. Screaming and convulsing, the cloaked figure fell to the ground, writhing. Almost a minute passed before the terror was over.

"Worse, still, you have returned empty handed!"

"But... what?" groaned Grendel. His brief tranquility was shattered another burst of pain, this one lasting almost two minutes. When it was over, Grendel struggled to regain his breath. Slowly but surely he drew himself up to his knees.

"What I sent you for, my warlock friend, is a very unique piece of material. It is the remains of the engine of a Tamaranian ship that crash landed years ago, just outside the city. It is a very powerful material. If synthesized properly, one would have the most powerful explosive on earth. One crystal could lay waste to countless cities..."

Grendel reached into his cloak as the voice spoke, and his eyes grew very wide when he realized his pouch was massing. His knuckles turned white as his hands drew into fists.

"As I said, it is very, very unique. My computer has been able to track it, however, and tomorrow you can fix your mistake and retrieve it."

Grendel slowly brought himself to his feet. "Where is it?" his voice was like ice, completely devoid of emotion.

The voice laughed the eerie laugh that Grendel couldn't stand.

"It's in Titan's Tower, my dear boy. I trust you will not fail me this time"

Grendel was silent for several seconds, his face a blank canvas. His thoughts raced, every incident that had occured throughout the long, long day appearing in his mind, one after

the other. When he got to the horrible ending, a grin slowly began to spread across his face.

"No, sir. I will not fail you."

There you have it, Chapter 4! Hope you enjoyed it. Again, I'm sorry about the delay between updates. And please, feel free to review and comment! Stay tuned for Chapter 5... The Reckoning... coming soon!


	5. The Reckoning

Hey! Welcome to Chapter 5... The Reckoning! I had a lot of fun writing this chapter, and I hope you enjoy reading it.  
Before I begin, I have to say that I don't own the Teen Titans, etc. etc. etc. And with that out of the way... Voila!

Chapter 5: The Reckoning

"So, uh, what is it again?" Came the ever-so curious voice of the resident changeling, Beast Boy. He held in his hands a clear glass box with a tiny blue crystal in the centre. He brought it up to his ear and began to shake it before Cyborg wrenched it from his grip. Beast Boy smiled sheepishly, remembering what the General had told them.

"It is a piece of pure Bindalorf, friend Beast Boy. A very, very valuable substance back on my planet." Starfire snatched it from Cyborg's hands effortlessly, causing the mechanical teen to do a double take, scratching his head at the ease with which she stole it from him. She began to wander around the room with the box, staring deeply at the faintly glowing blue hue.

"On earth, we call it Kryvinovium, after the man who discovered it. Dr. Arkady Kryvinov." rattled off Robin, removing the box from Starfire's hands as she walked by. She stopped and turned to watch him as he kept walking.

"But... how can something be 'discovered' if my people were already aware of it?" asked the orange-skinned girl, perplexed.

"Well, he discovered it for humans, Starfire. This material doesn't exist naturally on earth. From what the General told me, a Tamaranian reconnaissance craft crashed near the city some years ago, and this was one of the things they managed to retrieve from the wreckage." Robin explained.

Beast Boy and Cyborg had grown tired of the lecture and made their way into the TV room to play some video games. The sound of Beast Boy crying was heard within a matter of seconds, followed closely by a very loud "BOOYA!" Robin and Starfire turned towards the noise and smiled at the sound before continuing their discussion.

"And what of the Tamaranians inside of the craft?" Starfire asked finally, a look of complete seriousness possessing her. "Did they... cease to exist?"

"Well, the General was kind of vague, but from what I understood of what he said, they basically wound up taking jobs within the government. Physics, developing weapons, things like that. They didn't trust humans completely, though. He said none of the Tamaranians would work on the Kryvinovium project. I got the impression they were afraid we would use it to blow ourselves to pieces. Which, of course, was what the General wanted to do in the first place. And most likely what Grendel and his master want to do with it now." Bitterness entered Robin's voice when he spoke Grendel's name. Not only had this man evaded his capture twice--although Robin was proud he was able to disarm him without anybody getting injured--he had driven a wedge between himself and a member of his team. An ordinarily loyal and trustworthy member of the team.

"I do hope friend Raven will return soon, Robin." offered Starfire, almost reading his mind. "I have no idea where she could have vanished to..."

"Same here, Starfire. I hope she comes back, too. We miss her." Robin bit his lip. He missed her especially. He hated to fight with anyone in his team... 'I just wish we'd been on the same page the whole time.' He thought, cursing himself. 'Maybe I should have just listened to her. But I did what I felt was right, and I don't regret that. This will all work itself out in the end. I know it will.' He noticed the Tamaranian staring at him with an odd look in her eyes. His eyes widened. "What is it, Star?"

"Friend Robin... are you in need of the earth hug?" she asked, smiling. Robin smiled back.

"Sure, why not?" he admitted, and they embraced. The previous two days had taken their toll on everybody, physically, mentally, and emotionally. Maybe they just needed an evening to forget about things, relax, and let Raven cool down.

"Shall we place the Bindalorf in a secure location?" asked Starfire, letting him go.

"The General didn't entrust us with this just so we could leave it lying around." he replied, and they made their way to the security vault in the basement.

When the crystal was finally safely locked away, Starfire and Robin made their way back to the TV room. Beast Boy seemed to be on the verge of another classic defeat, his teeth clenched together almost permanently. Cyborg had a grin a thousand miles wide spread out across his face. It seemed like any other night. Except...

Except for Raven's absence.

Robin couldn't stop thinking about it. It ran through his mind, the same words, the same conversation, over and over again. He kept thinking about tossing the concussion grenade, about stealing the crystal from Grendel. He kept trying to picture himself doing anything differently. As much as he hated to admit it, he couldn't. "It had to be done." he mumbled.

"What'd you say, man?" asked Cyborg absently, his attention devoted to the humiliation of his green-skinned friend.

"Nothing. Don't worry about it."

"Man, I'm worried about us. Everybody. You and Raven fighting, the team just shouldn't be like this..." Cyborg turned to face Robin, one hand on his game controller, randomly pushing buttons.

"Uh, playing a game here, dude..." Blurted Beast Boy, annoyed.

"I know, I agree with you, Cyborg. I wish I knew what I could do to bring her back." Continued Robin, ignoring the anxious green teen's words.

Cyborg placed a second hand on his controller, but continued to face his leader. "I don't think there's anything you can do, man. Just let her cool down. Maybe you two can work on your communication skills when she does come back." He grinned at that. The Boy Wonder allowed himself a small smile, too.

"Maybe you're right, Cyborg. Which proves that there's a first time for everything." At that, they both began to laugh. Within seconds, victory music could be heard from the television. Robin and his metallic companion turned to see Beast Boy's character lying on the ground in a pool of blood, Cyborg's electronic representative hovering over his corpse in a victory stance. Beast Boy's personal expression could only be described as a mixture of surprise and total outrage. He shot Cyborg the strongest glare of evil he could.

"I hate you so much right now." he hissed.. With that said, Cyborg laughed even harder. Their tranquility was shattered by the blare of the alarm.

"The crystal!" shouted Robin, and the group made their way to the nearest elevator, destined for the vault.

A few moments later, they arrived to the Tower's basement, hearing only silence, with the exception of the slight hum of an air exchanger. The new situation, however, made the quiet that much more eerie. The added knowledge that a dangerous magician was lurking somewhere waiting for them made their hearts beat just a little bit faster. Beast Boy took the opportunity to turn into a tiger. Cyborg's hand morphed into his sonic cannon as Starfire's eyes began to glow an ethereal green.

"Be ready for anything, team..." warned their leader as they made their way down the hall. They finally arrived to the security vault.

"You guys stand guard out here, the room just isn't big enough for all of us to fit in. If you see him, let me know. We're going to have to work closely together if we're going to stop him." Robin explained as he inserted the proper keycard into the security slot. After a few moments, the slot beeped and the steel door slid open. Robin walked inside the tiny little room to behold a single computer panel, the door sliding closed behind him. Pressing a few buttons in a certain sequence, the panel beeped and the wall directly across from him lit up, revealing itself to be the vault door. The gigantic steel door rolled open slowly, revealing... the clear box with the tiny blue crystal inside it. Just where they had left it.

"What? This has to be a trick..." mumbled Robin aloud, walking past the panel into the vault, ducking his head as he entered. He picked up the clear box, examining it. From what he could tell, it was the real deal.

"What's going on?" he asked rhetorically, placing the crystal back on the shelf where he found it. Suddenly, the crystal was enveloped in dark energy, and within seconds it flew past his head. Turning quickly, the Boy Wonder found Grendel standing a few feet in front of him, his hands tightly grasping the box. Robin began to move, but an unseen forced shoved him against the wall.

"I am so sorry to do this to you. But I have no choice." droned the cloaked figure in a monotone, a hint of despair in his voice. Finishing his words, the vault rolled shut, locking Robin inside.

Grendel flicked the intercom button on the computer panel. "According to my calculations, you have approximately two or three hours of air inside the safe. But you most likely knew that already. Regardless... Good-bye, strange young lad. You have fought well. But not well enough. I just hope the other three make it this easy." With a burst of static, Grendel's voice was gone. Robin grit his teeth and punched the steel wall as hard as he could.

"No! How could I be that stupid?" he shouted, running forward and banging on the door. He paused, rubbing his head. "Okay, no, this isn't helping. Focus, Robin, focus. There's got to be a way out..."

Outside, Starfire, Cyborg and Beast Boy continued their watch.

"He has been inside for far too long. I think one of us should go in after him." asked Starfire, a worried tone coating her voice.

"Yeah, you're right, I don't like the looks of this. I'm going in..." began Cyborg, but before he could finish his actions, the door slid open and out stepped the same tall, thin man that had now bedeviled them for three days straight. "What the--" uttered the robotic teen before dark energy wrapped around his body and he was thrown violently against the wall.

"This is not an admission that I am going to enjoy this..." stated Grendel simply while tossing the green tiger down the hall and deflecting Starfire's bolts back in her direction. "But after the pain and suffering you have put me through in our prior meetings, I am beginning to forget that I am a pacifist."

"Now try to forget MY fist!" shouted Cyborg, surprising Grendel with a quick tackle. Knocking him to the ground, he was able to give the gaunt figure a quick punch before he dematerialized beneath him, only to reappear behind him.

"How droll..." Grendel muttered before blasting his assailant in the back with a fireball. Cyborg slid across the floor from the attack, crashing through a door across the hall. The cloaked man's distraction proved costly when several of Starfire's bolts finally made it past his mental shield, slamming violently into his head and forcing him to the ground. Before he could return to his feet, an emerald kangaroo jumped on his back before morphing into a gorilla. The gorilla proceeded to twist Grendel's arms into a painful hold. Starfire landed in front of the wrestling duo.

"Surrender, Grendel! I know you are under duress and would not normally behave this way." ordered Starfire, hands and eyes glowing brilliantly.

Grunting, Grendel disappeared beneath the gorilla in a blue cloud, only to reappear behind the red haired teen, grabbing her with his black aura and tossing her into Beast Boy, knocking them both down the hall.

"And what would you know about my normal behaviour? None of you know me! You just--." his rant was interrupted by a sonic blast to his side. Stumbling, Grendel lost control and tumbled to the floor.

"BOOYA! I've been waiting too long to do that!" shouted Cyborg, readying another blast. Grendel waved his hand, and the second blast changed its path skywards, blowing a hole in the ceiling and raining debris down upon his attacker. As the half-robot tried to dodge the chunks of concrete and steel, Grendel levitated over him into the air, poking his way through the hole and onto the next floor.

"After him! C'mon, guys!" shouted Cyborg, and Starfire flew through the hole, attacking Grendel as he landed, taking him by surprise and knocking him through a wall. A green owl flew through the gap in the floor before transforming back into its most familiar shape.

"Didja get him?" The changeling asked. Starfire looked at him and shrugged. They cautiously advanced on the pile of rubble that the thin man had disappeared beneath. Beast Boy quickly changed into an elephant and began to remove the shattered blocks of concrete. Much to their distress, there was nothing underneath. Switching back, the changeling groaned.

"He could be anywhere!" exclaimed Starfire, worry in her voice. Cyborg entered the room and noticed Grendel's absence.

"Awwwwww! How could he get away again?" he lamented, moments before one of the chunks of rubble collided into his stomach, sending him flying. The others turned in time for similar chunks to slam into them, tossing them across the room. Moments after landing, all three were grabbed once again by dark energy and tossed against the wall. Struggling against the weight, the trio found themselves pinned by the supernatural force. Grendel floated down from the ceiling, a numb look on his face.

"I hope you believe me when I tell you that I do not want to do this. But I have to. And you have left me little choice in the matter..." came his malicious words.

Cyborg stared straight into his eyes, continuing to struggle. "C'mon, man! I heard what Raven said! You've been put up to this! Let us go and we can help you!"

"We tried that. Then one of you tried to kill me. Now I do things the way my..." he paused, a look of disgust sweeping over his features. "...the way my master wants them to be done." He finished, closing his eyes and sighing.

"C'mon dude! We're not your enemies!" pleaded Beast Boy, attempting, with little luck, to shapeshift into something that would not be held by Grendel's grip.

"We wish only to stop this destructive cycle!" added Starfire.

"Stop speaking! You are making this harder than it already is!" And with that, he used his psychokinesis to seal their mouths shut. "I... I am sorry." He said finally, and the Titans found the energy pinning them to the wall begin to constrict, crushing them. Grendel looked on, tears in his eyes, as he focused his powers.

His concentration was disrupted suddenly when something small and metal collided with his head, causing him to drop the three teens and slowly float to the ground. Rubbing his head, he turned around to find Robin standing defiantly before him, bostaff extended, positioning himself in a combat-ready stance.

"But..." began Grendel, only to notice a dark figure hovering above Robin's head. "Oh. Of course." he finished, sighing.

"I want to help you Grendel. I really do. But trying to kill my friends is a great way to lose my sympathy." shot Raven, her eyes glowing, her face carved into a mask of anger.

Grendel sighed, realizing his new situation. He stood slowly, panning around the room. The Titans had him completely surrounded. Behind him, Cyborg was prepared to blast him, Starfire was ready defend her friends, and a hungry green velociraptor was waiting to strike. Before him, a Kung Fu whiz and a mystical mistress were anxious to put him down. Simply put, they had regrouped, and the odds were no longer with him.

"If we must battle... let it be mano a mano." He gestured to Raven.

The Titans all stared at Raven. The pale woman didn't even blink.

"Let's end this." she muttered, and the two of them disappeared in dual blue flashes.

The dark dimension welcomed them once more. A larger grey rock floating in the void, about as large as a football field, was found to play host to their final showdown. They stood about ten feet away from each other, eyes locked, bodies stiff with anticipation, expressions completely devoid of emotion.

"I am sorry it had to come to this, Raven. As I have said before, you have been a worthy opponent."

"I still am, Grendel." she said, a grin flashing on her face as she made her move. The jet black silhouette of a raven erupted from behind her and and swiftly descended on Grendel. A look of surprise briefly flickered on his face, and Grendel began to focus, a swirling dark force like a melting cobweb eminating from behind him and moving to counter the attack. The two forces met and connected, meshing into one another. The looks on the two mystics' faces had changed to intense concentration, each side trying as hard as possible to overwhelm the other's magic. Now and again the cobweb would surge forward, threatening to overtake the raven, but the raven would fight back, throwing itself back from the brink to continue the stalemate. Occasionally, the cobweb would be surprised by the black shadow and find itself overwhelmed, only to reorganize and rectify the danger.

Raven's eyes were locked on the violet orbs of her adversary. She noticed absently that she seemed further away from Grendel than when they started. There were small grooves in the ground in front of Grendel (and her as well, she assumed) denoting that the force of their energy battle was driving the two of them further and further back. She could believe it. She hadn't had to focus this hard against an enemy in a long time. Sweat began to pour off the two fighters, their faces grimly frozen in expressions of concentration and pain.

Grendel's already great admiration of the girl's abilities had risen even further since the beginning of their battle. 'She cannot be older than 16, and she has held out this long. Her spirit reminds me...' His thought trailed off, attempting once more to break her will and finish her, with little success. Desperation began to rise within him. 'Regardless, she is still inexperienced.' he thought, moments before spreading his hands and launching a large fireball in her direction.

Shouting in surprise, Raven was able to dodge the large projectile, at the cost of her concentration. As she tumbled to the ground, the black cobweb advanced, attempting to swallow her. Her eyes glowing red, the black silhouette emerged once more from the prone girl's body, charging forward and clashing with the dark entity.

"Amazing..." whispered Grendel before increasing his efforts. His features became as pale as bone, his hands bound tightly, every muscle in his body locked.

Raven felt herself being overpowered. The cobweb slowly began to edge closer and closer to her, her own powers fading in the face of Grendel's experience and greater strength. As valiant as her effort was, it seemed that all was lost. 'Come on, what kind of thinking is that?' she thought. Lines from a poem began to trickle to the front of her mind as the black entity crept forward... 'We'll face the murderous, cowardly pack/ Pressed to the wall, dying, but fighting back!'

With those final words echoing inside her head, she lunged forward, leaping to her feet and pressing the cobweb with as much power as possible. Her silhouette exploded forward, colliding viciously with Grendel's familiar. The impact was astounding. The two energy forces detonated from the reaction, dissapating into colours of red, orange, blue and purple in the air, the sky above them a permanent shade of midnight. The two magicians were thrown backwards from the blast, rolling along the ground as if they were stones skipping across a pond. Moments later they finally stopped, their bodies lying limply on the ground. Raven was face down, her heart racing, her lungs burning, using all of her strength to stay conscious. Thoughts began to race through her mind, not the least of which was, 'Did I kill him?'

Minutes later, her question was answered. "Get up." came a voice through a haze of white noise, her ears ringing from the explosion. She rolled over slowly, a blurred image unravelling before her.

"No." she said in a soft hush, narrowing her eyes. She lay there, splayed upon the ground like a ragdoll, immovable. Defiant to the end. The image in front of her eyes began to take on Grendel's form. His own eyes were a furious crimson.

"Get. Up." he ordered, menace in his voice.

"Why? Isn't it easier to kill me this way?"

"That... does not matter. Get up. Now."

"You don't want to kill me, do you?"

"Shut up."

"You respect me too much, don't you? Or is it something more than that?"

"Shut up!"

"I didn't find Aeschere, did I? She... found me, didn't she?"

"You shall not speak her name!" he bellowed, a spark of electricity illuminating between the two as Raven was violently tossed through the air. She collapsed back on the ground with a dull thud.

The ashen heroine slowly began to rise to her knees, coughing. "She's gifted too, isn't she?" she asked, looking him straight in the eye.

"I... Stop this at once." he ordered. "You are nothing like her. Now... prepare to die." He raised his right hand and it began to glow a shade of blue, enveloped in fire. The heat rippled from the ends of his fingers.

"Fine, go ahead. Kill me. Lower yourself to the level of a man who has tried to eradicate your reason for being for his own personal gain. Let yourself become a slave."

Grendel paused, blinking. His hand still glowed, white hot now, but nothing came from it.

"If he does keep his end of the bargain, and I doubt he will, can you really live with yourself knowing that her safety was paid for in blood? Can you live with yourself knowing that you had to murder innocent people to save her life?" Raven began to stand at this point, shaky at first, but finally bringing herself to her true height.

The fire from his hands began to fade into a dull orange. He continued to stand, immobile. He looked like some kind of warped scarecrow.

"Is this even what she would want you to do?" She began to step towards him, her own hands outstretched.

His eyes broke from her's, staring at the grey stone beneath him. "No." Came his admission. The flames went out. Grendel's hand fell to his side.

"We gave you a choice, Grendel. Our offer still stands. I know this was never what you wanted to do. You're just a man pushed to the breaking point. Please... let us help you."

Grendel's eyes moved from the ground to look at Raven once more. His face was sullen. "Yes... I would like that." he said finally. Hesitating, he continued. "Can you forgive me for my actions?"

Raven smiled. "That wasn't the real you, Grendel. I know it wasn't."

Grendel returned the smile. "You know... I did lie to you earlier."

A curious look overcame the cloaked teen. "Oh? How so?"

"My wife... is an empath. You are almost certainly correct... it is most likely that she found you."

She smiled again, putting her hood up. "I knew it."

"And... for what it is worth... I can see elements of her within you, Raven."

The smile never fading, she began to open up a portal to return them back to the Tower. She gazed directly into his eyes before replying.

"I knew that, too."

And so Chapter 5 comes to a close. Buahahaha... The tide is turning for the Mysterious Voice(tm). The poem Raven references during the battle with Grendel is 'If We Must Die' by Claude McKay, by the way. It's an inspiring bit of work.  
Once again, comments and reviews are much appreciated! The thrilling conclusion to Debts No Honest Man Can Pay is coming very soon in... Chapter 6: The Retribution!


	6. The Retribution

Here we are... the exciting conclusion to Debts No Honest Man Can Pay! I certainly hope you enjoy it, it was a lot of fun to write. Sorry it took so long to update again. I trust it will have been worth the wait!  
(I do not own the Teen Titans, etc. etc. etc.)

Chapter 6: The Retribution

'Focus. Focus. Focus.'

The words shot through Grendel's mind, synapses bouncing around inside his skull, keeping his head clear and his thoughts on one thing.

'Focus. Focus. Focus.'

He made his way quickly down alleyways and around grimy concrete corners, descending upon the abandoned building he'd become familiar with for all of the wrong reasons. Tonight, it would end.

'Focus. Focus. Focus.'

The big finale was tonight. Justice would be served. Everything would come out okay in the end. He just kept telling himself that. All it took was one thing.

'Focus.'

He entered the building and found two robots standing directly in front of him, contrary to normal procedure. The chest of one of the robots opened and a shadow could be seen on the screen.

"You are late." came the Voice, as serious as a heart attack.

"But I am successful." Replied Grendel, allowing himself a smile.

"Successful? Do you mean..."

Grendel nodded. The grating laughter came from the screen, and the thin man fought the urge to cringe. Just one shudder and everything would be ruined.

"I would like to think that means I've been worrying for nothing. But seeing is believing. Come up and visit me by the fire. We'll have a nice fireside chat." The screen closed on the robot's chest, and both of the androids stood aside to allow Grendel entrance. Wary, he made his way along the familiar path of creaking, rotting boards and cracked walls.

Finally entering the proper room, Grendel stood silently, examining the surroundings, the flickering of the fire barely illuminating the large area. He scanned it for any signs of movement. He was secretly hoping that Aeschere would be free, standing of her own free will, ready to run into his arms. The nightmare would be over. But that was only wishful thinking. He knew the reality was much more grim. He finally spied a brief shadow to his left.

"Well?" came the voice from the darkness, finally making its' presence known.

Grendel opened his cloak and revealed the crystal, placing it gently upon the ground.

"And?" the voice added impatiently.

Grendel's expression never changed. He opened his cloak once more and tossed five communicators to the ground.

"That's hardly sufficient..." the voice continued before Grendel reached in to his garb once more and tossed a worn cloak to the ground. The kind that would easily fit a teenage girl.

Once again, Grendel fought the urge to shudder at the laugh. The voice was filled with joy. "You've done it, haven't you? You've succeeded where so many have failed. You have killed the Teen Titans!"

"Fine. Now... where is she?" Grendel muttered in a disinterested tone.

"Right to the point, aren't you? I understand. Follow me."

"But how can I...?" Began Grendel before he felt a presence behind him. Spinning around, he found himself staring into the chest of a rather tall android.

"Pardon me, I should have been more obvious. Follow him." Explained the voice, and then the sound of footsteps came from the darkness. The robot followed its' master into the shade, and Grendel continued the thread of "follow-the-leader."

The robot went down several flights of stairs into the basement. Grendel noticed how remarkably dirty the floors were, even compared to the rest of the beaten-up old building. The walls were cracked, and he constantly heard a "drip-drip-drip" from somewhere in the level. They rounded the corner into a new room, completely black. Grendel raised a hand and a single flame emanated from his palm, giving him some light. In the centre, he noticed a round orb. This one did not glow, and he could not see anybody inside of it. He approached it and found it was indeed empty.

"What is going on? Where is she?" He turned to face the robot. Its' chest opened up once more and the voice could be heard again.

"She's in good hands, Grendel. And you shall be, too. Get inside the orb. You're too valuable to just use once."

"You... bastard!" Shrieked Grendel, his telekinetic aura ripping the robot's arms off. "The Titans told me you'd betray us!"

"Well, perhaps you should have listened to what they had to say instead of murdering them. Get inside of the sphere, Grendel!"

"Never! Give me back Aeschere!" he ripped off the robot's head, and the machine toppled to the ground, the screen exploding as it hit the ground.

"I don't think you understand. You don't have a choice." came the voice, this time from inside Grendel's head as pain surged through his body. He clutched his chest and tried valiantly to stand, slowly sinking to his knees as the electric spasms of agony rippled through his body.

"There... is... always... a choice." groaned the thin man, slowly regaining his strength and returning to his full height. The pain shot through him over and over. His mind was focused. He just kept telling himself that the pain was irrelevant.

"Impressive. No matter." came the voice again as the room lit up completely. Grendel shielded his eyes from the sudden rush of light with his hands as a steel fist smashed into his chest like a sledgehammer, tossing him across the room and slamming him into a wall. Stumbling to his knees, he was given only a moment's rest before another blow was delivered to the side of his head. The cloaked figure crashed to the ground for only a second before a metal foot collided with his stomach, raising him off the ground and leaving a huge dent in the fortification behind him. Grendel slowly writhed on the ground, the volts of power still coursing through his system, the added destruction of the robot's assault causing him to cough up blood.

"No... no more..." moaned Grendel, twitching on the ground, the bright lights blinding him to his surroundings.

"Shut up, fool. You wanted a choice, so I'll give you one. Get in the sphere, or die like the Titans. Make a decision, Grendel." Came the angry voice from inside of his head.The wall to Grendel's right suddenly detonated, rubble flying forward and knocking out several of the flood lights which plagued his vision. Several more explosions were heard.

"What's... what's going on?" came the noise inside his head, and without warning the pain in his body stopped. He opened his eyes to see the Teen Titans, his own personal cavalry, coming to his rescue.

"Awww man! I hate these robots!" shouted Cyborg before blasting two of them with his sonic cannon. He tucked and rolled to avoid a laser blast from one of the bots, coming to a sudden stop before launching a quick shot. His blast destroyed the head of his threat, causing the machine to topple to the ground. He rewarded himself with an exclamation of "BOOYA!" before returning to the task at hand.

Starfire flew over their heads, raining down starbolts and sowing much destruction. The machines tried helplessly to get a bead on such a swiftly moving target. She used their confusion to her advantage, planting well placed shot to their chests and blowing them to pieces. When one robot's shot came too close for comfort, she turned quickly in midair and cut it cleanly in half with an emerald blast from her eyes.

Beast Boy had assumed a rhinoceros' form and was charging through the room, annihilating the robotic resistance. The machines could do little to stop such a huge bulk in such a contained space. His thick hide resisted their energy blasts easily, and with a sudden twist of his head his horns tore his enemies to pieces.

Much closer to the fallen magician, Robin's bostaff was making quick work of the ones attempting to approach Grendel's prone body. Realizing the thin man's predicament, he attempted to draw their fire away from Grendel. With lightning quick reflexes, the Titans' leader dodged shot after shot, getting close enough to each robot to deliver a death blow with a well placed explosive.

Grendel drank all of this in with a growing sense of awe. "We hadn't heard from you in a while, and we feared the worst. Looks like we were right." came a voice beside the cloaked man's head. He rolled his neck slightly and stared up at Raven, bundled in a fresh cloak. She quickly began to levitate pieces of debris and launched them at their attackers. Grendel smiled and brought himself to a sitting position, admiring the Titans as they made short work of the threat. Finally, with one robot remaining, it attempted to charge Grendel one last time before a large chunk of levitated rock severed it cleanly in half. The robot spasmed several times before becoming still.

"Well that takes care of that. Now where's the clown that's behind all of this?" remarked Cyborg, dusting off his hands.

"I... I do not know. I have never seen him. He might not even be inside the building anymore." Confessed Grendel weakly.

An ember of thought ignited inside of Raven's mind. "No... he's still here. And I know exactly where he is." She bolted for the door, bursting through the flimsy frame and into the hall. It was exactly how she had seen it in her vision. She looked towards the end of the small corridor, and saw the familiar window, and the same locked door.

"Where the heck are you going?" came Beast Boy's cry from behind her, but she ignored it and made her way down to the end of the hall.

"No need to worry about using force this time." she whispered before blasting the door off of its hinges with telekinetic energy. The room inside was dark, with the exception of a glowing yellow sphere in the corner. Raven cautiously made her way inside, attempting to find some source of light. The Titans trailed behind her, Grendel's limp body being held up by Starfire. Cyborg used a shoulder lamp to give off some light, but it was dwarfed as the ceiling suddenly lit up, bringing the room into perspective. A man stood in the far left hand corner, his eyes narrow, his glare cold and calculating. The Titans faces lit up with comprehension the moment they saw him.

"I knew it! I just knew it!" spat Cyborg. "It's those damn robots, they still kinda look like me. I oughta sue you for copyright infringement!"

"Hello, Cyborg. It's been a while." grinned Brother Blood as he stepped forward, his massive robes dragging behind him. His cybernetic eye shone briefly as he looked over the Titans with a sense of amusement.

"Give it up, Blood. Your blackmailing scheme is over." ordered Robin, teeth clenched.

Blood rolled his eyes. "No, no it's not. Don't you get it? I still have the trump card." he held up his robotic hand, and closed it swiftly, his hand briefly flickering a dull reddish colour. Grendel doubled over, the pain shooting through his body once more. "Leave us alone, or he'll die. If I do this twice..." he gestured to the lady in the bubble. "She will die as well."

The Titans stared aghast, unsure of what to do next. As they stood motionless, Blood opened his hand, which again flashed red, and Grendel stopped writhing. The cloaked figure let out an anguished cry before his eyes rolled back in his head.

"My business is not with you. Unless you wish to be responsible for two deaths, I suggest you leave me alone." Threatened Blood.

"This is so much easier when we just have to beat on the bad guys." moaned Beast Boy.

Robin squinted, thinking. His eyes darting towards the ground, he sighed. "Let's go, guys."

"What?" Raven's eyes opened wide, surprised. They narrowed quickly, shooting daggers in the Boy Wonder's direction. "What are you--? Are you insane?"

"We have no choice. Let's go."

"Never!"

"Raven... Trust me. Please? It's for the best. Nobody will get hurt this way."

Raven bit her lip, her mind racing. She couldn't see an easy way out of this either. She looked at the wounded man who'd started all of this.

"No... he is... is right..." mumbled Grendel, his words barely above a whisper. "At least... this way... I can be with Aeschere..." he managed a faint smile before his face contorted once more in agony. "Go, Raven. You have done everything you could. And for that, I thank you." His breathing was laboured at this point, and he started coughing. "There is nobody to blame here but myself." Raven smiled and gripped his shoulder.

"Oh, come on! Get out of here before I enslave you all, too!" bellowed Brother Blood, raising his arms theatrically.

Raven shot him a glare as the rest of the Titans began file out. She laid Grendel gently on the floor and stood up slowly, her eyes locked on Blood's. "This isn't over, Blood. I'll be seeing you soon."

"I look forward to it, my dear." Came Blood's cocky retort, a smirk on his face.

Her teeth clenched, she began to make her way towards the door. She cast one last glance in Grendel's direction, and sighed. Grendel raised a hand, almost as if waving good bye. She watched him slowly begin to stand as the door closed behind her. Then she grimly fellowed her team out of the building, the look of a ruined person betraying her feelings.

The Titans had just rounded the corner to enter the nearest alley outside the building when Robin quickly turned around, extending his arms and blocking the solemn group's path.

"And where do you guys think you're going?" asked the Boy Wonder, his voice full of nervous tension.

Cyborg cocked an eyebrow. "What? I'm all for saving these guys, but I don't know what we can do. That bastard Blood has us cornered, doesn't he? I thought we were just gonna let this one go for now. Maybe regroup and try some other time, or something?"

"Of course not!" Robin smiled in Raven's direction, confidence growing in his voice. "We never abandon anybody in their time of need." Raven returned the grin, her heart skipping a beat at his words.

"So what is our course of action?" queried Starfire, completely confused by this point.

"I think Raven's got it covered." The spiky-haired lad pointed a thumb in the empath's direction.

Her eyes opened wide in surprise "Uh, I do?" She queried, wondering what trick he had up his sleeve.

"Oh, yes... Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" His grin belied an air of deviousness that looked alien on his face.

Raven gave Robin a curious look before it finally dawned on her. A look of realization came over her, and her own smile broadened. "Yes, yes I am."

Moments later, eyes closed, a plan was coming to fruition..

"Azarath. Metrion. Zinthos."

The words shot through Raven's mind, synapses bouncing around inside her skull, keeping her head clear and her thoughts on one thing.

"Azarath. Metrion. Zinthos."

As her mouth moved, she felt a numb sensation overtake her body. She knew it was working. She kept repeating her mantra, over and over, faster and fast. Tonight, it would end.

"Azarath. Metrion. Zinthos."

The big finale was moments away. Justice would be served. She knew it now. She felt that sense of mental alienation overtake her, her body an afterthought now, and she felt as if her consciousness was hurtling through space like a meteor.

"Azarath."

She saw swirling colours and odd shapes, images of galaxies not yet seen by any human telescope. Swirling orange hazes of stars and the complex blue-purple-white of nebulae surrounded her now. It was as if she was miles away from her body, yet she had never felt so connected to herself in her life.

"Metrion."

Adjusting to the new sensation, she remembered the plan and made her way along dark corridors ringed with constellations towards a swirling yellow mass. As she floated closer to the void, a faint flickering in the centre of it became more apparent. It was a weak red dot, blinking continuously in the sphere. She reached into the void, tendrils of white shooting out and wrapping around her body. Ignoring the discomfort, she reached further and further into the void, closer and closer to the red dot. The tendrils began to constrict, squeezing her. She felt the breath rush from her non-existent lungs. She felt bones break that were not present to be broken. She felt herself begin to panic.

'This isn't really happening. Focus, Raven... You are beyond pain, beyond any sensation. This is just somebody's pathetic attempt to prevent you from doing this. From saving two lives. Focus!'

Concentrating her thoughts, she felt the tendril's hold weaken and dissolve as she surged forward, clutching the red blotch in the centre firmly. Once she knew she had a firm grasp of the object, she whispered just one word.

"Zinthos."

Those two syllables uttered, she felt the blinking red menace fade to grey and disappear completely. The yellow haze began to swirl faster and faster, finally moving so quickly that Raven had to look away from the near-blinding light emanating from it. A sensation that could only be described as a sudden deep breath erupted throughout her body, and within seconds the cosmos that had unfolded before her earlier drew away, merging into an incomprehensible blur. With a rush, the numb feeling evaporated, and Raven was once again fully aware of her body. Every breath, every heart beat, every wisp of wind that criss-crossed her pale skin was crystal clear to her now. She opened her eyes and found herself sitting cross-legged in an alley, the Titans standing around her and watching in complete astonishment.

"Dude! That was sooooo weeeeeeird! I mean, like, in a good way. It was like you were like right in front of us physically and a bajillion miles away mentally. You were, like, twitching and writhing, and you'd speed up and slow down your words and stuff! And you stopped breathing at one point! For like a minute!" Blurted Beast Boy, rubbing his head awkwardly at the outburst. Raven ignored him and rubbed her eyes, still trying to regain her bearings.

"Well? C'mon, Rae, did you do it?" urged Cyborg, his eyes wide.

"Yes, please friend Raven! We wish to liberate our comrades in bondage just as much as you do!" Starfire gripped Raven's left arm in anticipation.

"Guys, guys! Give her a second! I can imagine that astral projection is not the sort of thing you just sort of pop out of easily."

Raven shook her head, surveying everything around her. She stared up at the team's anxious faces, everybody eagerly awaiting her words.

"Victory. The central control link in Blood's hand has been disabled." she said simply, with a smile. The rest of the team broke out into huge grins, Cyborg and Beast Boy slapping hands and Starfire hugging the sitting Raven tightly, lifting the unamused ashen teen off to the ground.

"Save the celebrations, gang. We've got some friends to help." The Titan's leader spoke as he beamed. Seriousness returned as the group gathered themselves and ventured back towards the abandoned building.

Back inside the basement, the robed figure stood over the thin man's prone body, a malicious smile on his face.

"Grendel, don't take this so personal. It's not who you are, or who she is. It's all about your power. And my power to use your power. That's all." Blood explained, a metallic hand scratching the bristles on his chin. "Discipline and punish, the dynamics of power. It's all really quite beautiful if you think about it"

"I cannot argue with your logic when you put it that way." mumbled Grendel, a hint of sarcasm evident in his voice. Blood scowled at his tone, and backhanded him across the face. When Grendel twisted his head back slowly to face him, a metallic fist was squeezed tightly before his vision. "Just remember, my friend. I can destroy everything you care about."

"BANZAI!" came the echoing scream of Cyborg moments before the robotic teen crashed through the wall, sonic cannon ready. The rest of the Titans followed, combat stances ready.

"You idiots! Do you really think such an awkward strike would save your friend?" taunted Blood.

"I told you I'd be seeing you soon. And it's over for real this time. No more tricks, no more advantages. You're ours." hissed Raven, her dark aura radiating behind her.

Brother Blood looked at Grendel, and then back at the Titans, a hint of worry creeping into his features. He raised his now open hand and squeezed it shut. There was no red flicker this time. His mouth opened wide in surprise.

"How... but..." he stammered, moments before Grendel's own aura erupted in front of him, driving Brother Blood into a wall. The robed figure quickly drew himself to his feet. "NOW!" he screamed, and without warning the far wall opened to reveal more of the golden robots. They advanced on our heroes, firing concentrated energy blasts into the crowd as Brother Blood made his way to the door with Grendel in hot pursuit.

"Titans! Go!" bellowed Robin, and the group sprang into action.

"I love smashing these rip-offs! It's like a Transformer smashing a Go-bot!" declared Cyborg, blowing several of the automatons to pieces with quick shots from his cannon. Beast Boy had transformed into a stegosaurus by this point, using his spiked tail to bat his enemies across the room. Starfire once again provided cover from the air, sending a hail of her deadly bolts down into the wave of metal men.

"I do not understand what you mean when you speak of "transformers" and "gobots," friend Cyborg, but I must concede that one can definitely derive pleasure from the destruction of these sinister machines!" hollered Starfire as a well-timed starbolt detonated the head of a robot behind her cybenetic friend.

"Raven! Go help Grendel with Blood!" yelled Robin, tossing explosives in front of an advancing column of robots, the explosion sending them into disarray.

Raven nodded and flew through the door, following the corridor into the next room and up the stairs. Her eyes widened when she came to the top of the stairwell. Before her stood Grendel, his cobweb aura enveloping Blood, driving him violently into the ground.

"...for all the pain you have caused me! For all the pain you have caused Aeschere! I am going to kill you, Blood. I am going to kill you slowly..." screamed Grendel, his eyes an ethereal blue. His face was warped into a visage of pure hatred.

Blood squirmed in agony beneath the cloaked figure's power. "No... no more... Please..." he choked, twitching on the ground.

"GRENDEL!" yelled Raven, and the thin man's head snapped towards her. His eyes still glowed an almost electric blue. "Don't do it! Don't bring yourself down to his level!"

"You do not understand! He said it himself... he would have destroyed everything I cared about. This is the only way!" Grendel's eyes faded to a deep crimson before he turned to face his enemy. With his telekinetic energy, he tossed Brother Blood against the wall, knocking him unconscious. He lifted the lifeless form again, and slammed him once more into the wall. The body began to rise one more time. Gasping, Raven concentrated her energy, canceling Grendel's power and dropping Blood to the ground with a thud. Grendel turned again to face her, his eyes two glowing embers. Raven's violet orbs gazed directly into his eyes, looking for a trace of humanity. Folding her arms, her aura dissipated. She stood there unarmed.

"If this is what you want, fine. Go ahead and kill him if you want to, then, Grendel. I'm not going to stop you."

Grendel's breathing was heavy now, and he cocked his head to the side to look at her. His eyes faded back to normal. "What... what are you doing? What about... I will do it, you know. I will kill him for what he did to me and my beloved. I must kill him. This is justice, Raven!"

"This will make you no better than him. You know that! You'll get your revenge, yes. But what will that accomplish in the end?"

"All this pain he has caused... Everything must be made right. An eye for an eye."

She paused a moment before replying. "An eye for an eye just makes the whole world blind, Grendel."

Blinking at those words, Grendel looked as if he had just been slapped. He turned slowly and looked at the carcass on the floor, gore pouring from the robed figure's nose, his face a collection of black-and-blue bruises. Brother Blood's right leg lay at an awkward angle, and at the very least he had pulled it from the socket. Was this what justice looked like? The former pacifist examined the carnage he had created this evening, and something inside him snapped.

Grendel brought his hands to his face, covering it, and let out a scream. "Gahh! What am I doing? I am not a monster!" He shook his head as if trying to expel an evil spirit from his body. "Justice will be served on this vile creature. But not by me." He turned around and examined's Blood prone body, his hands falling to his side, the faint sound of police sirens growing in intensity with every second. "I should... I should have remembered our discussion yesterday. Yes... No more pain, no more violence. No more..." he whispered.

Raven suddenly became aware of another presence in the room. She turned around and saw a red haired woman, just a few inches taller than herself, standing almost directly beside her. She stared up at the woman, who smiled gently.

"Hello, Raven." she said sweetly before walking towards Grendel, who had turned around just in time to see her approach.

The thin man's eyes softened and a slight grin formed on his face. "Aeschere..." He whispered before embracing his wife. Pulling back slightly, they looked deeply into each other's eyes before kissing. Raven glanced sideways, choosing to pin the now groaning Blood to the ground with telekinesis in an attempt to give the lovers some privacy.

Breaking the kiss, Grendel brought his face to Aeschere's neck, his face grim. "I... I am sorry. I am sorry for all of this."

Aeschere smiled gently. "It is okay. We are safe now, and we are together. That is what is important." She kissed his forehead, and he smiled once more.

"Never again, my love. Never again will I place us in such a situation. I am sorry I failed you in the first place."

"Grendel, my dear, you did not fail me. We are free now, are we not? All thanks to your cooperation with some friends..." She gestured towards Raven, smiling. The other Titans began to filter into the room by this point, drifting in behind their mystical expert.

Grendel could tell the sirens were very close now. "We had best make leave, Aeschere."

"One moment, Grendel." Aeschere walked over and placed a hand on Raven's shoulder. "Thank you for everything, Raven. You are an admirable empath."

"And a formidable magician." Added Grendel, a hand on his chin.

"Yes, most definitely. You will do great things." She looked up at the other teens. "Thank you all. My husband and I are in your debt. Bless you." She bowed and walked back to her cloaked lover.

Grendel kissed his bride once more, and turned to his benefactors. "Farewell, Titans. Thank you. You have returned my beloved to me and freed us both from our tormentor. I hope someday I can repay you. Until we meet again." The thin man drew his wife close to his chest, looks of pure euphoria on their faces, and with a blue flash, they were both gone. Mere seconds after they had disappeared, police cars began to fill the lot in front of the building.

A car door slammed, and Lieutenant Frost approached the group. He looked at the body on the ground. "Ahhh... Brother Blood. We got a report in last week from Steel City that he'd escaped. Good work, we'll take it from here!" he declared, and swiftly turned and gestured to a nearby cadre of cops. The police quickly placed the semi-conscious Blood under arrest, radioing for an ambulance for his injuries after detaining him. Uniformed men filed into the building to examine the crime scene. Frost watched his men in action with a sort of glee. He turned to Robin after a few moments of observing. "So it was Blood the whole time, was it?"

Robin looked lost for a moment before finally blurting out "Yes! Blood was the thief."

Cyborg noticed the officer's apprehension from Robin's blunt answer. "It was a disguise, of course. I mean, he had escaped from prison and all." He added quickly.

Lieutenant Frost nodded acknowledgment. "Well, all's well that ends well, eh?"

"You're telling us!" burped Beast Boy, letting out an exasperated sigh. The officer laughed and walked over to another group of police, leaving the group alone to reflect. The green teen turned quickly to Raven, poking her on the arm. The ashen girl glared at him.

"What is it now?" she groaned.

"Okay, seriously, I gotta know this... so how did you know to go through that door?" Beast Boy asked, his body language betraying his confusion.

"Oh, easy. Aeschere told me in a dream." She replied, her tone softening as she began to relax.

"Ohhhhhh! Of cooooourse!" he said with a touch of sarcasm, slapping himself in the forehead. He thought about it for a few seconds before frowning. "The sad part is, that makes more sense than any of my theories."

"That's hardly surprising." She chuckled, giving him a grin. The changling rolled his eyes at her comment.

"Uh, I'd hate to interrupt, but could we leave? I mean, I like hanging around crime scenes as much as the next half-man, half-robot, but if I have to spend another minute here I'm going to puke!" Interjected Cyborg.

"While I am not in the mood to expel the contents of any of my stomachs, I must concede that I agree with Cyborg's sentiments. We should be returning to our tower for a celebration of sorts!" Came Starfire's voice.

"Okay guys, let's head home." Agreed Robin.

As the group began to make their way back to the T-Car, Robin placed a hand on the empath's shoulder. "Er, wait just a second, Raven."

Raven turned, curious. "Yes?"

"I know it seems like I've been doing this a lot lately, but... I'd... I'd like to apologize. For being so obstinate and not believing you in the first place. You were right, and I was wrong."

Raven just stared at him for a few seconds before wrapping her arms around him and giving him a squeeze. She immediately pulled away, enjoying the look of shock on his face. "Hey, don't worry about it. We were on the same page in the end, right?"

"Oh, oh yeah. Right." He mumbled, still surprised.

Raven chuckled a bit. "Come on, Boy Wonder. Let's put this all behind us and go home." Robin nodded, and they made their way back to the others, relief adding a spring to every step. Raven absently wondered what 'celebration' Starfire had planned for them when they got back to the Tower. She figured that after everything they'd just experienced, they deserved it. After all... the nightmare was finally over.

... The End

There you have it! A happy ending and everything. Thanks for reading my first Teen Titans story, I can tell you it won't be my last. The mental wheels are turning already with new ideas! And an extra-special thanks to all of those who reviewed it, your comments were very much appreciated!  
Well, that's it. Keep your eyes open for another exciting Teen Titans story from yours truly. Peace! - AMZ-C-Raven


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